


shadow preachers

by mincrva



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, More tags to be added, Partners to Lovers, Tags might change, Vampire!Jaehyun, Werewolf/Vampire Relationship, magic is definitely present, to be exact, werewolf!Johnny
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2019-09-01 11:20:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 31,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16764136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mincrva/pseuds/mincrva
Summary: A mysterious murder case brings close two lonely people, with burden on their shoulders. Vampires and werewolves shouldn’t mingle, but the night is much more bearable when blood is tasted together.“We are both unsettled, nighttime creatures.”





	1. I. Sunset

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ THANKS
> 
> This is based on a [thread](https://twitter.com/__JAEHKYUN/status/1055904542943072256) I made on twitter a while ago, which I warmly suggest you to check out just to have a better understanding of the characters and the setting. I wasn't initially going to make any of it, but some mutuals suggested to write a story so here we go. Please, bear it with me, english is not my first language so there might be mistakes along the way. I don't have a schedule for updates: I'll try to update as fast as I can, but I can't promise anything. I also don't know how long this is going to turn out, so yeah. Enjoy this mess

[TWO MONTHS BEFORE] 

He sat on the floor, exhausted. He had lost count of how many times he tried to do this, how much energy he spent trying to accomplish something that was probably going to be a big fail anyway. The smell of incense smoke filled the room so vividly he thought his eyes were going to shut forever in that very moment. _This is pointless_ , he said to himself. His mind was going everywhere, trying to find something that could help him, something he missed, something that was left out of the equation. Maybe they left a clue, maybe all he had to do was trying more, and harder.

«You really chose the worst timing to die».

He straightened himself up and breathed slowly: once more. _Once more and if I fail, you are entitled to kick my ass and haunt me for the rest of my life_ , he said, lost in thought, looking at the ceiling. Rocky walls followed his gaze everywhere around him: the dampness filled his body to the bones, making him jump with shivers whenever the wind entered the small space he was in. He gathered the remains of what he used just thirty minutes ago, scattered on every end of the wooden floor: he reminded himself he had to clean that mess after that. The feeble light that came from the only opening was starting to get slimmer and he realized he couldn’t stay in there for long otherwise they would probably start wondering where the hell he disappeared. It wasn’t the first time and he at least hoped would be the last.

  
He repeated the process that had now become a daily routine for him, the words engraved in his mind like a burning, the process memorized step by step by his body, almost as easy as putting a shoe on. It had come to the point where he didn’t even need preparation anymore, he would just jump straight into it.

  
At first it didn’t feel that different from the number of times he had tried it before: he still thought that was going to be another dead end. He would come home and try again next day. That’s why he didn’t pay attention to what broke his breath not even thirty seconds in.

  
It him all at once. Body shaking, blood pressure going up, the whole room spinning around him. He went everywhere and nowhere in the same moment. If he had to sum up what happened for the next three minutes, that would probably be it. He finally realized why he failed so many times before and why this was a difficult task even for someone like them. It takes courage, it takes stamina, it takes nerves of steel but, most of all, it takes mental strength. That world is an alluring place for all kinds of creatures and if you stay too long, you might get caught up in their play, tangled in their threads.

  
The information he gathered during that small amount of time, though, was something he didn’t expect at all. He felt his stomach twitch in disgust, his eyes blood red in anger. He had seen a fair share of bad and disgraceful things in his life, but nothing really really matters until it affects you so closely. The voices in his head were now whispering a little bit louder, a little bit more convincingly: he had to get revenge. He still didn’t know how or when or where, but the fog that clouded his mind for the past three months was now gone and everything felt easier knowing the truth. A lot was still left to be uncovered, he knew that, and he also knew he owned them the whole truth. If revenge wasn’t going to work, at least the truth. Surprisingly enough, the anger that stuffed him so quickly disappeared just as fast and his whole body relaxed in a very ominous way. _There’s no need to hurry_. _I’m going to do this on my own terms_.

  
It’s true what they say about having a purpose, it really gives you a whole new perspective on everything. The sky was gloomy above the earth, the wind howled at every gust, birds flying like they were trying to escape from an inevitable doom. When he stepped outside for the first time in what felt like days, the air that filled his lungs was heavier than lead but he actually enjoyed it. It didn’t feel burdening, as many people would find it, instead it perfectly matched his humor.

  
Black clouds were now hiding the forest of pine trees that towered the small city. October was approaching, with its colder, reassuring, chilling embrace.

«The crows will sing again soon».

❅❅❅

[PRESENT TIME]

If Johnny had only one wish in that moment, it certainly would be to be done with his midterms so he could throw all the papers that had been the sole inhabitant of his worktable for more than two months in the trash can. He always did what he had to do diligently, (he called himself a perfectionist, a Stakhanovite even) but when night approached, he found himself lacking even the energy to cook a decent meal for one. University wasn’t the only thing on his mind right now: after several tries, including a pretty embarrassing fall in front of the whole restaurant thanks to his slippery shoes and a very rainy day that caught him by surprise, he found a part-time job that gave him enough money to not growl in frustration whenever he realizes he was out of cash for that month. Again.

  
Daily activities like these were pretty tiring on their own and he yearned to just sink into his sofa and sleep for twelve hours straight, but that won’t do that particular evening. Mark had called him just two hours before, hissing through his phone in a very high pitched and upset voice:

  
«I’m telling you man, there’s something weird out here. Everyone has been fidgeting all day and we still have to understand the reason why. Jeno and Lucas are going for a scouting mission as we speak. We think it might have to do with one of, uhm, one of our kind».

  
«Listen, Mark: this better be something important and not just one of your false alarms because I’m really not in the mood today. What have you been sensing?» His tone wasn’t harsh as he rarely got seriously angry with his pack, even when the situation might have needed it: he really tried to treat everyone with kindness and his patience limit skyrocketed especially when he had to address someone younger than him. Nonetheless he made sure Mark understood he wasn’t in the mood for joking for he all he was in the mood for was a good nap, since he could feel his eyelids lowering as if they were spellbound.

  
«It _is_ serious! I can’t, like, really put into words everything… ah, I should have just let Heachan explain this to you but he isn’t here right now… uhm… we all felt something shifting in the air. It felt heavier. Darker. We could smell blood. It wasn’t just me, everyone is on the same page. I’m telling you, something happened. I’m waiting for Jeno and Lucas to come back so I can update you». And that was the end of the call.

Johnny still wasn’t completely sold on whatever was that had his pack so agitated, merely because he knew there were a lot of pranksters in the group and they liked teasing him for being an “old geezer” all the time. He wanted this to be a fake just so that he could really get the long-awaited sleep he desperately wanted, but at the same time Mark sounded quite serious and frustrated during the phone call so his senses were now equally on the edge. To be completely fair with himself, his walk back home wasn’t exactly devoid of ominous feelings: he felt his bones aching inside of him at some point, sudden shivers rushing through his body that made his shoulders twitch up and down several times as a result. He blamed all of this to the sudden change of seasons that took everyone by surprise at the end of the week before, a true apocalyptic scenario that hit the entire town, with majestic storms raging throughout the day and a major blackout that had everyone worried, even in the safety of their homes. It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t swift. Johnny was among the ones who ventured into the woods nearby to assess the damage created by the two-day-long hydrogeological instability and what he found when his eyes caught a glimpse of the trails, the trees, those imposing pines that engulfed the valley in such a reassuring way, the lake shores, the beach, made him painfully tearful. The woods were his home, his harbor, his safe place, his comforting and gentle mother figure that always made him feel accepted and at ease. It will take years to repair the damage, he mumbled to himself that day, and even then it would still be not enough. He made sure to leave his number to the rescue team and told them to call him whenever they needed a hand in fixing whatever could be fixed: he had schedules of every kind, important appointments he could not miss, but he still wanted to give a tangible hand into rebuilding what was, for all practical purposes, his dwelling.

  
It was now past 7 pm and there was still no trace of news from Mark. He didn’t call him back nor did he left a message in his voicemail. Johnny wondered if he was allowed to make himself dinner or if he should be ready at any time to jump out of his little haven to follow whatever lead the pack had found. He lived in a very cozy and simplistic home, minimalistic even, that overlooked the lake, giving him the most spectacular of sunsets when he indeed had the time to sit on the veranda and enjoy the view of the landscape. The days of the storm he had to hole himself up at work, in fear of being completely swallowed and swept away from the tide; fortunately, his house was still on its feet when he came home, but the area around it looked like it was run over by a herd of bisons.

  
He picked up his suede coat that he left on a chair, still in a state of half-daze when he got home and decided to go look for his pack in the nearby forest. He headed towards their headquarter first, at the entryway of a small clearing that was just above his house: it was cold and breezy all around him and the gravel he was stepping on while walking felt a bit slippery, so he decided to anchor his feet to the ground with slow, heavy steps. He reached the small lodge where all seven of them used to hang out during weekends and important meetings, but there was no soul waiting for him. The lights were left on and there was a half-munched sandwich on the table that looked like it was handled with bear paws. Judging from the faint smell of smoke coming from the fireplace and the dim reddish sparkles of fire hiding behind the timber, whoever was there had probably left no more than half an hour before Johnny got to the wooden cabin.

  
He turned the lights off, threw the sandwich into the trash can and started to follow the scent that he had recognized the moment he walked inside: undoubtedly, either Mark or Chenle rummaged through the kitchen and tried to come up with something edible without having to actually use the stove.

  
_Ah, these kids_ … He locked the doorknob twice and put the keys inside his pants. Picking up the trails on the way, he found himself walking for at least a mile through the woods, massaging his aching kneecaps that were asking for a proper rest after working all morning and afternoon at the restaurant.

  
The silence that welcomed him during that walk was astonishingly deafening. He felt like being dragged three meters deep into the ocean, with only white noise filling his ears from all directions. It was only after a good ten minutes that Johnny started hearing at least three people murmuring to each other with a small voice from his right side. He turned his head over what seemed a steep declivity, probably sharpened from the disastrous storms, and headed towards it, gliding with carefulness, trying to save his ankles from a bad slide. Johnny landed on a small bed of leaves causing the others to turn around and pay attention to him. He was correct: Mark, Jeno and Lucas were indeed there, together with Haechan. Their eyes met his gaze while he was trying to scroll some of the dirt off his clothes and, much to his surprise, they looked like they just saw a ghost.

  
«Somebody care to explain what is going on here? I swear, if this is a prank, I’ll make sure you won’t see an inch of the skyline the next full moon», he shouted towards the group, walking in their direction with both hands in his pocket because of the cold. They still had their eyes wide open, going back and forth from whatever was on the ground just few meters before them and Johnny’s looming figure. He had no idea why they still weren’t able to use their voices and answer him, but it all became clear when he was close enough to see for himself.

  
The sight wasn’t pretty and he wished the younger ones didn’t have to witness this mess first hand. He walked towards the scene of the crime trying to hold back a deep sigh. What stood in front of him, laid in a much disheveled way on the ground, with scratches and cuts on both wrists and face and signs of struggle all over his clothes, was a body. A male corpse. It looked like it hadn’t been there for a long time, probably 5 or 6 hours, but what caught his attention was a detail that, he was sure, didn’t escape his pack’s attention either. Two very distinctive little marks, on his lifeless neck.

  
«Hyung, he was one of us, he was so youn-», Mark started whining but was immediately stopped by Johnny’s suddenly turning back with a very concerned expression on his face.

  
«The vampires will hear about this right now».

❅❅❅

«It’s not my fault if it doesn’t want to come down! I’m no hawk whisperer».

  
Jaemin was having a hard time that afternoon. Bonding with wild animals was always going to be something he lacked of; he preferred inanimate objects: books, paper sheets, the piano, paintbrushes. He had a creative mind and a sociable personality: he never understood why vampires were always portrayed in a mean, cold and detached way in every folklore tale he had read. It was thanks to that type of reputation that he often was given the dirty looks anywhere he walked.

  
But that day Jaehyun decided it was time to do some outdoor activities to test his stamina and also to breathe fresh air, since he noticed Jaemin was spending way too much time in the mansion’s library, bearing a face that looked like he hadn’t wash himself since the beginning of the century. And you can’t say no to Jaehyun.

  
He was right beside him, giving him a judgmental look but laughing at the same time. «I wish you could remember what you are capable of from time to time, Jaemin. Controlling tamed animals should be as easy as breathing to you, since we can do that with humans, too». Jaehyun jumped from his spot and landed on the tree’s branch in the span of not even a second. The hawk stranded on it was already spreading his wings to fly away, but froze as soon as he locked its gaze with the older vampire: his pupils were like melted liquid silver, with white sparkles hidden here and there, and his irises filled the remaining part of his eyes with a cold light blue. The hawk emitted a light screech and flew down, reaching its placement on Kun’s forearm. Jaehyun followed the bird and stomped his feet on the soil with one elegant move.

  
«I know we’re living in times of peace, but that doesn’t mean you have the luxury to be soft with either animals or werewolves. Even witches. You know how much this situation benefits us and I’m grateful it’s still going strong, but you must always be prepared for the worse». The hawk was now tied with a red string, blinkers on his eyes, ready to be put by Kun in the giant cage stored inside the greenhouse that occupied part of the mansion’s backyard. The sun was starting to set on the horizon, blending with the muddy-looking water of the lake behind the forest trees. It was a chilly November evening that day and the sky was filled with blue, grey and black colors: it would have been really a waste to call it a day when such an ideal opportunity was presenting itself on a silver plate. Night hunting had always been funnier and more useful.

  
Jaehyun adjusted his sweater that was ruffled from the jump and shot a quick glance at Kun, too busy pulling the bird in place to pay attention to the other two.

  
«Take the hawk back to the house» he said in a firm but kind tone to his friend, «Jaemin and I are going for a quick scouting in the area nearby».

  
Kun nodded and started heading back pretty fast: he was probably bored to death and starving that his disappearance was so sudden Jaemin didn’t even have time to complain to his protector.

  
«What are we supposed to do now? I want to go home too», he mumbled with a whiny voice.

  
«We are going to see if you have it in you to haunt alone in the open. Doyoung is not here, so you’ll have to be fine with me». His words were serious but Jaemin knew there was a part of him that was just waiting to see him tripping on a twig or something. Doyoung was the hunter of the crew, the one who spent the most time scouting, exploring, doing jobs for everyone, making sure nobody had to watch his backs twice: even now, the reason he wasn’t there with them was because he had an investigation going on. Jaehyun usually relied on him when it came to teaching Jaemin this kind of stuff, but today he was just going to make it work himself.

  
«Come on, this is not going to take too long. You can go hang with your werewolf friends afterwards».

  
He knew that was the only thing that could motivate Jaemin to _actually_ do stuff. Relationships among the three species were more peaceful than usual those days and, despite all their differences, they met regularly to discuss, should a problem arose. The head of the witches’ coven, Taeil, was the person Jaehyun could count on the most during debates: they often joined forces and minds to turn the situation around in their favor and succeeded most of the times anyway. Johnny, the werewolves’ representative, seemed pretty straightforward and stubborn; Jaehyun knew he had no bad intentions, but werewolves and vampires had never had an easy history with each other and the young wolf took over way too recently for him to trust him completely. He was sure things could change, what he couldn’t predict was when.

  
The older started padding towards a steep path that was just few steps away from the clearing they chose to practice in that afternoon. The moon shined completely through the leaves of the tall trees that surrounded them, leaving a small trace on the ground. Jaehyun actually hoped Jaemin didn’t already ditch him there to run to his friends, but he turned around and saw his light brown hair following him with the biggest pout on his face.

  
«We’re going to see if you can track an animal», he said still facing forward, «I hope Doyoung didn’t waste his time while teaching you».

  
«I’m his best student, you know!» Jaemin shouted, in a poor attempt of trying to cover his awkwardness.

  
«You are his only student, for all I know.» he shouted back, hiding a half-hearted smile from his face.

  
They kept walking for five minutes at least, empty spaces disappearing the more they advanced. The moon was now giving them its full attention and the air was starting to get chilly enough to see smoke coming from their mouths while breathing. Jaehyun was still walking, looking for a spot where they could hide from the lonely deer he eyed on a descending hill, just half a mile from where they stood: he had no intention of letting Jaemin kill the animal, but he still needed for it to be scared enough to oppose some kind of resistance. He gestured towards the younger to be quiet and tilted his head to the right, where there was a hollow tree trunk laid down on the ground, probably hauled away from the big storm that happened just one week before.

  
The deer still had no clue was going on around him: it stopped near a bush that grew from the ground, lowering his muzzle in the grass in front of him. Jaehyun and Jaemin quietly reached their hiding spot and stood there, with their gaze completely focused on the clueless animal.

  
«Let’s see what you can do. Chase him and capture him, but do not harm him permanently. Use your mind control». Jaehyun spoke in a low voice, but Jaemin clearly understood that it was more of an order than a request. The younger one had just started to stand up from the - uncomfortable - stance he was in, untangling his feet and positioning them to move closer to the targeted spot when the deer raised his head in a swift move and pricked up his ears. He tilted his head vaguely to the left and sprinted deep into the woods after a quick look. It seemed the animal spotted someone seconds before the two vampires could effectively pick it up themselves: this taught Jaemin he was probably going to lose to anyway.

  
«I can smell his scent, stay back». Jaehyun stood up from his seat and started to cautiously proceed forward, a sudden frown arisen on his face. Jaemin diligently took a step back and moved to the side: it wasn’t one of his friends, that much he knew, and had his confirmation when he saw a tall, very tall, figure approaching the two of them with the most serious face he had seen in a while. The pack leader was walking towards them, despite not giving Jaemin even a single look of acknowledgment.

  
«Johnny» Jaehyun stated in a calm tone, still unable to fully relax. They had met just a few days ago, to assess the damage brought upon their surroundings by the squall: the two were past an unfriendly relationship, so the sight he caught of him while he was strutting so intensely towards him was surprising, to say the least.

  
«What brings you here this late in the day?»

  
Johnny stopped, putting a good one-meter distance between them, his eyes still glued to Jaehyun’s face. «Stop playing dumb, I hope you have a good explanation for what happened», he hissed in response.

  
Jaehyun was taken aback from the bitterness he sensed in his voice and his face didn’t fail to show it. «I honestly have no idea whatsoever of what you’re talking about».

  
«The body in the forest. I know it was one of you. Two small, round marks on his neck. Only a vampire could have done this».

  
The sudden information startled him: things were going so smoothly for a long time now among the three species that he thought he could stop worrying about this type of occurrences happening altogether.

  
«I was not informed of any attack today. It has been a long time since any of us even had an argument with a werewolf. I’m sure there’s a logic explanation for what you saw today».

  
Johnny had no time to reply when a voice barged in on their conversation and cut his answer on the spot.

  
«I see you have already called for a meeting. There’s a lot we need to discuss». Doyoung joined the three of them with his recognizable, dashing stride that announced him everywhere he would go. His witty attitude was hidden by a deep concern that showed all over his face. He wasn’t happy and he wasn’t going to suck it up and mask it.

  
«Meeting? What are you talking about?» Jaehyun was now in utter confusion and was trying to get a reasonable response from either of them.

  
«I have come here straight from the lake. One of my men called me in a rush a few hours ago». His gaze shifted quickly to the outsider in his eyes. «A corpse was found. A vampire, with scratches and bruises all over it. And a nauseating dog smell attached to its skin».


	2. II. Guilt

The first thing that caught Johnny’s attention when they crossed the mansion’s entrance was the air of stillness that surrounded every object in the threshold and seemed to spread to every room in the abode without hesitation. He had never set foot in the vampires’ residence before, both because he was never in any close contact with any of them and because he always felt like he didn’t belong there, not even as a guest. His family always told him about the vampires’ way of living: they never shied away from collecting the finest pieces of antiques – _it doesn’t matter how young or old they are, they all seem to have a vintage soul_ , that’s what his father repeated several times – and their house seemed stuck in a different time period. Johnny had imagined what it could have looked like, lurking around when he used to play in the woods with his friends as a kid; since the view they had of the mansion was the one of a castle perched on an isolated slope, they always joked about the vampires being those old mean lords who preyed on any stranger that dared to approach their backyard. They had never seen one at that time: werewolves protected their own packs from any kind of interaction with the vampires and made sure they avoided their sight at every opportunity; what those kids had was just their own imagination, filled with stories about blood, fangs, odd-looking eyes and pale skin.

What Johnny found when he entered was exactly how he imagined and it wasn’t at the same time.

The spaciousness that welcomed him that tumultuous night when he gazed across the walls, with all that high-priced furniture filling the space, left him in a state of almost numbness: he was fascinated with the tall windows, the pastel rugs, the shining chandeliers dangling from the ceiling, leaving little sparkles everywhere on the floors. There was a crackling fireplace that beckoned him from his right side and he almost went straight towards it, in need of heating his cold hands after being out in the open for almost two hours now, when he remembered the pressing and most urgent matter that made him come to that house in the first place.

«Please, take a seat in the room at the end of the left hallway. I’ll be there in a minute». Jaehyun’s calm voice pulled him back to reality and he found Doyoung gesturing him to walk further in front of him. _He isn’t like Jaehyun_ , that’s the first thing Johnny thought when he met the dark-haired vampire for the first time. He didn’t know in which way that was exactly, but he felt Doyoung looked more like the characters he made up in his mind during his childhood whereas Jaehyun felt… more diplomatic? More empathic?

 _Warmer_. Yeah, that was probably the exact word.

The two men reached the study as indicated and made themselves comfortable in the polished armchairs that occupied the front part of a desk that stood out as the most expensive item in the entire room. And that included the huge amount of books, trinkets and various ornaments Johnny noticed while reaching for his seat. He loved things like that, but never had the money nor the place to use it in his own house. It would even look ridiculous, putting such fine pieces in an unpretentious house like his own. He settled for admiring them like this, with a decent amount of distance in-between.

«So», Doyoung started while pouring himself a glass of whiskey, «since we are all alone for now, we can be completely honest with each other before Jaehyun comes back. What really went down with those deaths? Please, spare me the tedium of looking further into this».

«I should be the one asking that in this conversation», Johnny replied, adjusting his posture and leaning completely towards the chair back. He expected the vampire to start asking questions and taking matters into his own hands, he would have probably done it before had he not found the werewolf already into his territory. «Perhaps the fact that I came looking for explanations _first_ is eluding your mind».

«We are not competing in a race, I don’t care who found who first. Two men died and I want to know what went down between them. If you admit your guilt now, I may even consider being merciful. I’ll let you know, this is a rare offer for a werewolf». Doyoung’s golden eyes narrowed, as if he was trying to test the other. Being nice, whatever that implied by human standards, wasn’t his forte, being nice with werewolves was obviously far from his reach. He wasn’t exactly sure of what he would get out of this conversation, but the circumstances pushed him to be done with this story before it could go south, as his sixth sense was telling him.

Johnny, on the other hand, didn’t want to cut things shortly: he wanted to analyze the accident in depths, catch whoever was involved but, above all, he wanted to know the reason. The reason why they found two bodies in the span of a forty-eight hours when there hasn’t been an inconvenience, at least a major one, in such a long time.

«You are right, this is not a race», he hissed, looking straight into the vampire’s eyes, «and I already told you we had nothing to do with this. I suggest you look elsewhere for someone to blame. Besides, I’m not supposed to be talking with you, am I? Or did you become the leader of your kind while we walked here?». He was now openly mocking him. «I’m sorry, I must have distracted myself». 

Johnny knew his words could make the atmosphere shift in the room; actually, he did hope it would: the pacts were clear about it and he knew Doyoung couldn’t do anything inside (or outside, for all that mattered) the house and he also knew he was prideful enough to be vexed by what he said; the first time he met the vampires he noticed how there was a suspicious weight between the two highest in the ranks, almost as if a blank space was dividing Doyoung and Jaehyun. It was clearly non-reciprocating, as Jaehyun looked unbothered by the stiff looks he would seldom receive when his second-in-command didn’t agree with him. He was not stupid, though, and Johnny knew the vampire was aware of the situation.

«You speak the truth, he is not». Jaehyun’s mellifluous voice joined in and made the two quarreling individuals turn towards the door in front of them, shifting all the room’s attention on his light steps. He headed towards the desk and sank into the main armchair of the room. His eyes were heavy and he seemed visibly more concerned and preoccupied compared to a few hours ago, dark circles under his eyes highlighting his pale complexion. With a hand on his temple, he raised his head imperceptibly and looked at Doyoung with a serious face.

«I left you a note with instructions in the living room’s centerpiece: I should not remind you that it’s of the extreme importance to deal with this as quickly as possible, so go now. Please, close the door as you leave». Doyoung situated the glass he still had on his hands on the tray set up on the left edge of the desk and raised his upper body from the wooden surface, facing the exit. He shot one last unreadable look at the werewolf and, after a few second,s left the two alone in the room, pushing the door with his last two fingers and without even questioning his command.

Jaehyun poured himself a drink and offered the bottle to the person sitting in front of him. «Did I miss an important debate between the two of you? He seemed pretty worked up when I interrupted the conversation».

The werewolf shook his head at the offer, politely declining. His mind had not rested since he found his pack hovering over that body and now new thoughts were circling all around his head, demanding his brain to take its time before he could say something he could regret later.

«So, what are we going to do from now on? We both plead innocent in all of this, but pledges won’t lead us anywhere». He stopped looking at his hands on his laps and faced Jaehyun’s figure to find the other scanning his entire appearance with a blazing stare, as if he was looking for some black spots on his soul, causing Johnny to slightly shift his weight in his seat. The two had met several times before, but Johnny always had a hard time staring at his face (not because of his unpleasant looks, quite the contrary): he had the most oddly mysterious and the most beautiful pair of eyes he had ever seen in his life. The first time he encountered him he almost recoiled at the sight, thinking his vision had played him a little trick and conjuring up a little chuckle on the vampire’s face. It seemed like his pupils were eaten up by a sea of silver all around them; he could not, for the love of God, comprehend if he simply didn’t have irises or if they just occupied the rest of his eyes’ space. That would probably be a question he would ask, if he ever reached that level of amiability with him. He now had the same pair of shining eyes glued to him and it took Jaehyun a few seconds before he could let out his answer.

«During our walk here I thought of something», he started stating, «and I made a call as soon as I could. I have decided that I’ll let the witches analyze the vampire’s body, see if they can find something useful». He stopped in the middle of the sentence to fill his glass again. «They are not involved in this hassle and they have the right amount of medical knowledge to take care of the body with an unbiased filter. Doyoung should be on his way as we speak. What I am trying to suggest here… is that you take the werewolf to the witches as well. We’ll decide our next move, after the results come in».

Johnny was now the one staring blankly at Jaehyun, taken aback by the suggestion, as he didn’t want to involve the witches whatsoever in this matter. He didn’t trust them, not completely, and he sure as hell he didn’t want to have a connection with _him_ again. For all that mattered, he didn’t trust vampires either and he was pretty sure the feeling was mutual, but fate decided to bridle them together so he just had to roll with it.

Jaehyun was still waiting for an answer while sipping his drink. He could see the boy trying to weight the pros and the cons of the proposal in his mind: he was an open book to him, thoughts and words jumping out to the outside through his frowns, his gestures, his looks. He was sure Johnny knew as well. That side of him had relieved him before, because it meant he could know in advance if putting his faith on him was going to be successful or not. His brisk features had the power of appeasing his mind and Jaehyun enjoyed not having to worry twice about an acquaintance turning into a foe. If he had to compare his aura to something, it would be autumn. Reassuring, laid-back, welcoming.

A good thirty seconds passed after he had posed his question and he finally gained a sentence out of the werewolf.

«What if the witches are indeed involved in this and they try to scam us? What then?» Jaehyun couldn’t hide from his face that he had thought of that very concern himself.

« _If_ they are involved, trust me I’ll know sooner or later. And they will face a proper punishment for these deaths».

Johnny was still reluctant to proceed with this plan, but he didn’t have a better idea on his mind and wanted to go home with something concrete to tell to his pack. He didn’t know if they had calmed down, what thoughts lumbered their minds in that moment, and he felt it was his duty to give them at least the resemblance of an explanation.

«I’ll do it. I will take the body to the witches myself. I hope you know what you are doing».

❅❅❅

There were still a few logs of wood burning in the fireplace by the time Taeil made it back to the common area. The space was pretty much deserted, as everyone was probably eating or resting already. He rekindled the fire with a pair of pincers, making sure he had enough time to recollect his own thoughts in front of a cup of tea before going to his room.

He felt completely worn out and he didn’t even move a finger in the last three days. First came the vampires – the vampire, the pedant one, dragging a dead person along like a normal human being would carry a purse. Taeil already knew from the phone call he received half an hour before that beastly arrival what the deal was all about: he agreed to Jaehyun’s request mostly because he had a genuine interest to find out the truth himself. When the vampire called him, while he was helping Sicheng with his latin translations, his subconscious didn’t waste time in suggesting that, maybe, the predictions and the signals he picked during the last months weren’t so blown out of proportion.

Then it was the turn of the werewolf, who came knocking the day after Doyoung dropped the first body. He was surprised to see Johnny presenting himself at his doorstep with a black sack, mumbling to the witch about the situation, asking to treat the guy with enough sensitivity. Taeil was painfully aware of his protective side that always made him turn a blind eye with his kind; he gave him a faint smile and promised he would do anything in his power to indulge his plea. _His heart is too meek for this task_ , he whispered, lost in thought.

It was only that morning but it already seemed like a week had passed. The wind howling outside kept slamming the broad window in the north part of the living room repeatedly, with a regular pace, causing the glass to waver at the sudden touch. Winter still had a long way before it could reach them, but the weather made it sure nobody could forget it was, indeed, approaching, like a new dawn peeking through the clouds every day. Taeil had had little to no time to offer to his activities during the past days: he entrusted Taeyong and Yuta to take care of the first corpse, after a quick, trivial supervision he did himself. The first checks confirmed what he could have guessed from the rigor mortis, but deeper analyses still had to be performed to determine the exacts dynamics of the incident. _Spells, too_.

The second body that he received from Johnny’s quivering hands was already being taken care of. Renjun and Ten spent the entire morning cleaning and purifying the cadaver, eliminating the dirt and the dust that wormed its way into the clothes and folds of the body. Renjun was particularly enthusiastic of being so highly trusted by Taeil that he brought his own notes he collected on anatomy studies during his leisure activities: his high competiveness, especially against Ten, made him the perfect match for this task.

The room was now slightly illuminated with the feeble crevice of warmth coming from the fireplace and the flashing lightnings Taeil could watch through the windowpanes. He thought about borrowing a book about protection spells from the small library they had installed in the east wing before retiring, his gut telling him he should be revising, when the door behind him creaked from the distance and he was greeted by Yuta’s everlasting deadpan face trespassing into the bubble of peace he created for himself. Despite his best efforts to conceal his emaciated face, Yuta looked like he hadn’t had a nap in a week: the tides had a bad effect on his sleeping schedule and nowadays the waters were so turbulent he had to stay awake for most of the night to calm his nerves. Infusions and mild-scented herbs also played a big role in readjusting his mind balance, so he came down to the common area to reach the kitchen and make himself a cup of chamomile tea to bring with him in his room. He expected to be the only one downstairs still awake; he shot an inquisitive expression at Taeil when he found him half-asleep in the main armchair, sitting cozily by the fire.

«What are you doing still up?» he uttered while closing the door behind him, careful not to produce any loud sound, «I don’t like when you overwork yourself and pretend not to feel the side effects the day after, you are already turning into an old hag, you know». His humor was always questionable, even for those who have been dealing with his quirks and wits for a long time, like Taeil: the two of them were basically raised together, springs and winters passing by while their bodies changed and matured, time and dedication crafting and polishing their minds into the capable sorcerers that were looking at each other in that moment. Taeil was entrusted with the coven at such a young age, making him one of, if not the youngest witch to lead it in at least a couple of centuries and he specifically requested Yuta to be at his side for all official matters or meetings, but he benefitted from his advice even more when things got personal and secretive.

Rarely did he want to reply to his old jokes so he just shrugged it off and tilted his head in Yuta’s direction. «I was just about to retire in my chamber, like the old and tired fossil I am, you snake», he answered, stifling a yawn with his left hand. «You still can’t sleep?»

The younger padded towards the nearest armchair and sank into the cushioned seat without worrying much about manners. «It’s like Poseidon is going through puberty or something. This bitch is really giving me a hard time even lowering my eyelids these days».

Taeil shrank in his place, remembering how little Yuta actually cared about filtering his thoughts while speaking. «I would be more careful about cursing the old gods if I was in your place. You can never know when they will retaliate for all the obscenities you cast at them sometimes».

«Let them. I will wave at them from my bed while enjoying my hot tea».

Morpheus was already starting to reclaim Taeil’s body, so he decided to leave Yuta to his calming infusions and stood up from his curled up position to head towards the stairs. He could feel the conversation going towards a profane ending so he decided to cut short and just stared down at him with a furrowed expression on his face. He was about to move when he remembered he could still ask for something actually relevant.

«Any update on the vampire body?»

The other witch turned to look at him and shrugged slightly, channeling his serious tone. «Nothing you already don’t know. Taeyong and I still have to run a few tests before we can give the full report». He shifted his weight on his forearms, resting on the armrests, to prop himself up and stand up from his seat. «All I can tell is that a werewolf was certainly involved. You can _smell_ it and even if you couldn’t, the marks on his body are definitely animal-like. In which capacity, that is up the vampires to find out».

The fire was now almost completely dead, leaving just few trails of smoke hanging in the air throughout the room. Among the last sparkles covering his eye sight, Taeil stood beside the wall, evaluating the answer Yuta just gave him. Ever since he received the call from Jaehyun, his nerves have been quaking from worry: he blamed that on the weather and his sensitive body, but the more he discovered about the two corpes laid down in his basement, the more he realized his body was just responding to the swirl of impressions and presentiments his brain have been fabricating in the meantime. 

«Come on, I know the question you want to ask me. Ask». Yuta interrupted the train of thoughts that was engulfing his mind and made Taeil shift his gaze from his fingers towards the witch’s direction. Yuta tilted his head, almost like urging him to bring out the elephant in the room.

«I guess it can’t be helped, but… Do you believe there’s magic involved?» His voice was now merely a whisper, as if he didn’t want that question to leave the living room.

«There’s a possibility, I can’t rule that completely out. Taeyong agrees with me for now and his sixth sense usually never disappoints», he let out a sigh and turned his steps towards the kitchen, still bent on preparing himself that cup of tea he desperately needed to sleep. «After the last analyses and our personal checks, I’ll be able to deliver to you a proper explanation. For now, just keep an eye on everyone here. The last thing we want and need is a scandal. _Another_ one».

He uttered that last sentence and disappeared from his sight, mumbling a gentle ‘good night’ in his direction while waving his right hand. The silence surrounding Taeil highlighted the din coming from the storm outside, which hadn’t stopped since that morning, soaking the soil in the courtyard of the house, usually used for growing herbs and plants useful to their potion-making. He was supposed to make one that day for a commission but decided he would go for a more doable brush-up of biology.

Taeil grabbed the book he intended to get in the first place and headed for the staircase. Talking to Yuta was liberating in a sense, especially since he hadn’t seen his face since the morning before, when he left him complaining about the burnt rice he wanted to have for breakfast: he then proceeded to spend the rest of the day and the day after completely immersed in the lab together with Taeyong, leaving Taeil with no other choice than to manage the chores on his own.

He put the book on his bedside table, removed his shoes and untied his shirt, trying to undo the sheets on his bed with his free hand. It was now past 11 pm and the only source of light in the bedroom was an old little lamp he kept for his night readings, the rain outside offering him a good background noise to ease his sleep. Taeil went to the window, eyeing the mountains he could observe through the misty landscape the heavy deluge that stormed outside created. _I wish rain could wash guilt away as well_.

❅❅❅

That day the restaurant was oddly overbooked for a small place up in the hills in the middle of nowhere so Johnny had to hurry up to work for an extra shift after getting a call from someone who sounded more like a beggar on the street than his manager. He realized the reason was a 50th birthday of some distant relative who warned last minute and to whom he could not say no to, so now he was running back and forth from the kitchen to the main hall and has been doing it for at least an hour or so. Between each course, he reminded himself he really _really_ needed the extra money to fix his TV that decided to abandon him just the day before, going blank all of a sudden while he was watching a movie on the couch.

The buzz coming from the table was still going strong, voices overlapping over each other even when it was time for Johnny to serve the dishes, the children looking at him from below with hungry eyes, hoping it would be their turn. He loved kids, he just wasn’t fond of their uneasiness when they had to actually wait for things. He was lucky the lunch didn’t last long enough for him to lose sensibility of his legs, considering he was the only one running marathons in order to please every guest: the last ones left at a decent time, allowing Johnny to take it easy on the cleanings afterwards. He could even make a cup of coffee for himself and sit somewhere in the hall, alone with his much desired "energy" drink.

He was starting to flip the first chairs to make room on the floor when his manager came from behind the counter and joined him, with a bottle of scotch in his hand. He was a middle-aged man, a rather pronounced forehead and the smoothest pair of moustache in town; he always dressed like one of those drunk lumberjacks who spent their days clowning the neighborhood over some wild animals spotted in the woods to pull a prank on the community, but he was actually a very kind and polite soul. He always rewarded him with some gifts, little gestures that Johnny learned to appreciate during his time there: he made him coffee after work, the black, strong one he especially liked, sometimes chatted with him about all types of topics, he even gave him some vouchers he could spend on the thing he enjoyed the most, photography.

He was actually so nice that Johnny thought about revealing his true nature to him several times.

Needless to say, he was tempted: it was now over six months that he started working at the restaurant and he had become more like a father figure to him than a simple boss; the only thing restraining his will was the fear of losing the relationship they had developed over some prejudice against the misfits, the – as the humans called them – freaks. Rumors of the existence of non-humans, special beings with overpowering abilities that could trample upon the weak anytime they want, were very much alive, no matter the century or the context. It was a cycling untold told secret that humans passed from one generation to the other: nothing was denied, nothing was confirmed, everything was questioned and avoided.

As much as Johnny wanted to trust his good faith, he wasn’t 100% sure his manager wouldn’t cut all his ties with him and maybe even spread the rumor among the rest of the community. He wasn’t just responsible for himself, he had a pack to protect, a pack made of young kids who needed him as much as he needed them. He stared at the man approaching with a soft expression on his face, the corners of his lips curving into a shy smile.

«I’m so glad you accepted to come here today. I wouldn’t have known what to do without you». He grabbed two glasses from the display cabinet at his left and started pouring the liquid in one of them.

«It’s alright, as long as I get a free drink afterwards», Johnny responded jokingly while dragging a pair of chairs for him and the old man to sit in. It wasn’t coffee, but that would do too.

«I ringed last minute, I apologize for that. Next time you will have at least a day in advance of notification». He passed one of the glasses to the boy and started sipping on his own. «So, do you have any news to tell me? Anything interesting happening? What are the young folks up to these days?»

Oh boy, did he have _things_ happening in his life. A dead body, for example. A dead werewolf, to be exact. Nothing he could illustrate to him nor make him comprehend, though. He shrugged at the row of questions and put on a blank look, the mask he usually used during these occasions with humans. 

«Same old stuff, I guess. University is my priority right now… I really need to pass these midterms».

«You know, I really wished you could find someone important in your life, a girlfriend to love and be loved in return». He made a pause, lips still parted, eyes fixated on an invisible spot in front of him. «Or a boyfriend. I don’t judge, you know. I am not like one of those dodderers you encounter in this town. I might look old, but my soul is as young as a newborn, remember that».

Johnny cringed a little for that last bit of the sentence but was still surprised by the direction the conversation decided to take to pay attention to it. Having a girlfriend? A boyfriend? Commitment is what he does best, but he wasn’t sure he was suited for a relationship as for the moment. He had the pack, university, a job: among these three milieus, he still hadn’t found someone that was worth of his attention. Someone who intrigued him to the point of climbing his list of people he would be concerned about. He always felt his partner should be someone who shared the burden with him, someone with the same mindset of trying to keep the world balanced and at peace, someone who knew what type of beast he was and still loved and showered him with comfort and care, like a beautifully blossomed flower. Love is the easiest thing in the world but never comes with equally as easy conditions. Thinking about it, Johnny realized no one he knew at the moment really fitted his pristine idea of soulmate he had: maybe thinking outside the box could be helpful, as love comes in any form or place, but how far outside was he willing to go? Should he restrain himself in fear of the unknown? But most importantly, was he mentally prepared for that kind of journey?

He still hadn’t given an answer to his boss, for his mind started projecting itself on all types of existential questions about feelings and how to deal with them. He found the old man mixing the liquor in his glass, swinging it in a circular motion, while looking behind the window glass at the street in front of him. The sound of a ringing bell caught the two men’s attention as they turned in the direction of the main entrance. The manager stood up from his seat, putting his drink aside as he walked a few steps ahead of him.

«I’m sorry, we’re – uhm - closed for now», the man apologized, scrutinizing the person in front of him.

«I know, I’m merely here to pick Johnny up from work, would you mind?». Johnny recognized the voice immediately and flinched from where he was seating: that was the last voice he would expect to utter the words he just so nonchalantly heard a few seconds before. When he looked up, the first thing he saw was the pair of eyes that he learned to familiarize with over the past few weeks. They didn’t surprise or scare him anymore, instead he found himself unable to look away when more than the typical few seconds you use to greet someone passed. The only thing he didn’t understand was why his boss wasn’t freaking out in his place.

Jaehyun stood beside the counter, hands in his pocket and a vague expression on his face. He was dressed casually, a monochrome black shirt, tucked into a pair of denim jeans. A leather jacket covered his shoulders, while a dark mask hanged from his neck, underlining the contrast with his skin.

«What are you doing here?», Johnny mumbled after reaching him, reassuring the manager he indeed knew the person. «But most importantly, why isn’t my boss freaking out about your looks?»

«You should know the witches are, well, kind enough to pass us a necklace that modifies our aspect for a more suitable one to offer». Johnny dropped his gaze to the vampire’s neck, where a moon-shaped necklace rested on his collarbone. Jaehyun leaned slightly towards the werewolf, locking his gaze with his. «As much as I would have enjoyed seeing you work», he said with a smirk, «picking you up isn’t exactly the reason why I’m here».

Johnny didn’t quite catch what was fun about seeing him bringing out dishes. «And what is that?»

«We have the final report». The vampire flashed a look behind Johnny’s back, making sure no other ears were in close proximity. «Care to know the results?»

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, let me know what you think about it, I really _really_ do appreciate comments! I wanted to publish at least one chapter before Christmas, since I know I'm going to be very busy starting from january with university and work. I don't know when chapter three is going to come out, but know I have already written it so I'll try to make my best not to delay it too much.  
> Merry Christmas in advance! 
> 
> P.S. bi!johnny ftw


	3. III. Underwater

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, it's been a while, but Chistmas holidays were in the middle + studying for exams so this got delayed a little. I'll try my best to manage my time properly lol

It wasn’t exactly the afternoon Johnny had planned after his shift ended and he wasn’t sure if it was the one he hoped for either. He knew Jaehyun’s sudden arrival at his workplace meant facing a response he probably was not ready to hear, despite the fact he sought the truth avidly, but still fearfully. 

The vampire suggested to move to a different location, so the two of them decided to head for a café to talk through things in a more comfortable and practical way. They had barely stepped foot outside the restaurant when Jaehyun shifted his gaze towards the right side, where a small parking lot occupied most of the space, and shot an abrupt question at Johnny.

«Johnny», he started uttering, «if you don’t mind me asking but… does that black and grey motorbike belong to you?» He slightly tilted his head to point at the vehicle that caught his attention few minutes before.

A genuine and spontaneous half-smile appeared on the curves of the werewolf’s mouth. «Yeah, it’s indeed mine». He paused for two seconds before continuing, curious to hear the rest of it. «Why? Are you interested in bikes?»

Jaehyun’s focus returned to the boy who was now staring at him with an unfeigned expression, trying to decipher the intention behind the change of topic. His lips formed an almost imperceptible pout, his brows drawing nearer because of it. «Nothing serious, I just feel like I would really enjoy the ride».

The answer was as cryptic as the question was and the conversation reached a dead end when they spotted the entrance of the café they had walked to during the past few minutes. It was a cozy, nearby place, painted in white and brown, where Johnny sometimes hanged out at when he wanted to treat himself a special cup of macchiato they made so deliciously. They both took a seat at a table positioned in the back of the small room, mindlessly ordering one cappuccino and one americano. There wasn’t a lot of people crammed inside and the smell of coffee permeated every corner of the shop, spreading without encountering obstacles. Due to the lack of requests, their orders arrived quickly and the waiter settled the two hot cups on their table before disappearing behind the counter, leaving them and another couple who already had a drink in their hands to their chatting.

Johnny started to stir the liquid in front of him, making sure not to spill it on his hands. «I am not going to lie, I feel a bit frightened to ask for these results». He wanted to appear stoic in front of the vampire, in honor of some kind of reputation he felt he had to live up to, but there was something about him that turned the werewolf pliant and vulnerable to his eyes.

Jaehyun lifted his masked eyes from his cup, softening them slightly in response to seeing his distressed face. «I know. I can sense it». He blew on it and took a sip of his cappuccino, without looking away. The light coming from outside was starting to become grayish, too dark even for a late autumnal day at 4 pm. Clouds were now hovering over the buildings and the water, filtering the sun’s rays, now merely a tease of its warmth. Jaehyun circled the ceramic surface of the cup absentmindedly, lingering with his touch on the slim spot where his lips had touched a moment before. Johnny felt watched and felt judged, although he knew he had nothing to fear from this conversation: he waited for the vampire to speak, the other still absorbed in his personal inquiry on how to approach the matter. What Jaehyun already was aware of still didn’t make completely sense in his head and having Johnny in front of him, completely straightforward and open – because he _knew_ he was – didn’t match with the intel he gained a few hours earlier.

«I suppose what I bring to your attention today isn’t exactly news for you», he started stating, carefully and specifically threading his words. «The two bodies were killed exactly in the same way we had assumed: bleeding by vampire fangs for one, werewolf bites for the other, one directly lacerating his aorta».

Jaehyun lifted his gaze, only to meet the other staring attentively at him, brows furrowed together. «I sense a ‘but’ coming», Johnny uttered.

The vampire reprised his speech almost immediately. «There’s not really a ‘but’. That’s how they perished. As for traces of magic, they are still not 100% sure about it. Yuta suggested it would be better to go scout the crime scenes for more clues, which brings us to the real turning point of all of this».

Johnny had stood quietly listening to what Jaehyun had to say. He trusted his pack with his life, their bond molded on the strongest bedrocks. It’s different from what you may feel for your family, your brothers: the only human relationship he could use as a term of comparison would be twins, living their lives as two parts of the same whole. They shared everything, sometimes even thoughts. That’s why he could face every problem with certainty and boldness, because he knew they would never or could ever lie to him. That’s why he could listen to Jaehyun’s words right now and not be swept away by his own worries in response.

«Analyses brought up to notice that the corpses had similar chemical elements hidden among fingers and clothes. I’m talking about loam and rocks, to be precise». Jaehyun retraced the talk he had with Doyoung when he came back from the witches’ morgue, papers in his hands and a sample of the very thing that was now the main object of the conversation, snorting at the dirt left on his fingertips from holding the phial. «Those crumbled rocks… they are carbonate rocks. They form in aquatic, karstic environments. In other words, the soil they were drenched in came either from the lake or its surroundings. One of the corpses was indeed found on the lake’s shores, but the other was lying deep in the woods».

Jaehyun observed in silence Johnny’s countenance steadily grasping the meaning of what he was trying to convey. His face crumpled, showing a sign of annoyance in the folds around his eyes. «So, what you’re trying to tell me is that it wasn’t a quarrel or an accident, but it was all staged».

The vampire took a final sip of his cappuccino, setting the cup gently aside on the table. «That’s what I strongly believe, yes». He felt the hot beverage still scratching at his throat, almost as an invisible reminder of the fact that he shouldn’t be so trustful with a werewolf, especially with such a delicate matter. His entire immortal life was filled with negative, biased opinions that his brain acknowledged and registered as facts and he has had no counterbalance whatsoever during all this time, simply because he never really dealt directly with one of them before. Despite that, he always tried to see the bigger picture and trust his instinct more than his calculated thoughts, especially since becoming the head of the entire species. And his instinct whispered in his ears, a faint buzz spreading from one end to the other: _trust him_. _You won’t regret it_. _Believe him_. Johnny’s question snapped him from his train of suppositions.

«So, what do you intend to do now?»

«I am going to the lake soon. I’m going to take care of the situation myself, so I want to have a direct contact with the crime scene». Jaehyun paused mid-sentence, gathering the last words on his tongue. «I was wondering if you could come with me».

That last bit caught Johnny off guard. _Since when a vampire wants to do something with a werewolf_? After the last pieces of information, he needed time to take in everything and think about the next step. Sure, they agreed on managing the emergency when it presented itself together, but he thought it wasn’t going to be a lasting partnership. Vampires and werewolves are a weird mix, a fuse ready to explode at the first sparkle anytime. Actually, Johnny thought Jaehyun didn’t really appreciate his company or his insight more than necessary, a burdening presence he had to endure because of circumstances; the blank features on his face masking a more truthful resentment, that’s what he imagined during all their meetings. This proposal became the second odd thing that he had heard that day.

«You believe me now?», Johnny mumbled, unable to bury down his surprise. «Completely?»

Jaehyun breathed out, in attempt to stress his answer even more. «Yeah, I believe you. Completely». There were a few seconds of awkwardness, during which he felt his ears blushing at the allusive meaning that phrasing could have. «I m-mean, I know all werewolves are good trackers, so I could really use your skills here. I’ve heard you are quite capable».

There was this stillness around them, almost as if they were waiting for some sort of sign to ratify their new status. They felt awkward with each other, unsure of what kind of shaky ground they were stepping foot on. It was a dance of minds, tiptoeing around a burning fire during a cold night: they were attracted by the bright shades of red and its warmth and tentatively tried to approach it, but they were also ready to withdraw their hands from it at any given time when it felt too scalding. Johnny didn’t expect to receive a serious answer, his question more of a spoken outburst of overthinking than a genuine request. His stream of consciousness hadn’t fully registered yet the fact that the silver-eyed vampire wanted him – _him?_ – to be his… what? What was the relationship they had created? How could you define it? Acquaintances? Partners? Friends? He always felt the only one struggling to properly convey the bundle of words and emotions he had in his head, leaving his speakers dumbfounded at how messy his sentences could get. This time he wanted to do better and not appear affected by the surprise blow he received moments before.

«Ok then», he started, piercing with his eyes a random spot on the wall in front of him before turning to face Jaehyun’s hopeful expression, «I’ll trust you too. When are we going?»

A shy smirk, born out of self-confidence, made an appearance on Johnny’s lips, magnetizing Jaehyun’s attention to the lower part of his face. He raised his gaze and put on a serious look. «Now. We’re going right now».

❅❅❅

It was quite the walk from the tiny café, perched in the little town’s center, until the first glimpse of the lake. They decided to go on foot, taking their time scouting and observing even the closest surroundings, meticulous to take note of anything that seemed out of place. The trails of fallen leaves descended during the past two months ended a few meters away from the sands, replaced by tall, green and gray pines that engulfed the lagoon. Nothing much had changed since the discovery of the murders: they were unable to seclude the area officially, but the weather had been bad enough to discourage any uninformed tourist or local to trespass on it, essentially acting as a case and providing an unaltered environment from external alteration, apart from the occasionally rains and winds that plagued the region during the ending months of the year. There wasn’t much around the two of them as they made their way towards the water. The sand felt sticky under their feet, molding on the soles of their shoes while little grains were hauled away from the wind that was now starting to intensify. It was just a tad before the sun would set, but the sky was already dull from the cold and clouds, leaving to them only a fraction of available light.

Jaehyun walked towards the spot the body was found, damp and broken twigs scattered on the soil under his shoes. Johnny was tagging along, trying to amplify his senses as he approached the targeted region. The remains brought by the storms were going to be a nuisance, as water hindered his ability to track. It had been a while since he had done it: though slightly out of practice, he was raised with the uttermost strictness when it came to hunting and tracking, his father making sure he was going to manage on his own once grown up. He was the one who taught him how to look for different prints, how to identify them on different types of terrains, how to use his skills as a magnifying glass for his hypersenses. Johnny missed him sometimes, but he knew he had lived the childhood every kid should have had.

«At least four people passed through here that day». Johnny broke the silence between them, squatting down few centimeters away from a very old pine tree, dented from time and erosion. He took a look at the deep signs stamped alongside its roots and tilted his head in front of him, looking at the musky landscape that broadened at his eyesight. He lifted himself up and brushed his hand against the trunk’s wood, gently tracing the lines that composed the log. «And one of them has spent quite some time in this exact spot».

Jaehyun roamed around, looking for any personal object, piece of clothing or blood he could find. His senses worked in the moment, they were different from those a werewolf could own. He had a good spirit of observation and enjoyed spending his time doing outdoor activities though: when he was a little boy, which by that time would have been at least a century and a half before, his daily life was filled with what he remembers as honeyed memories with his parents, whom he very much loved for the short time they were with him. He used to pick herbs and flowers for his mother while she cooked in the kitchen, snatching the spoon from her hands and stirring the pot himself after leaving traces of dirt hoarded under his handwoven cloth shoes all over the house. They lived in a cramped space, with only a limited piece of allotment that they used as a yard and vegetable garden, but his family gifted him something way bigger and far more important than a rich and majestic home could; he didn’t even feel the need for it, as he was content with the way he spent his days. They also had a small dog, a beagle, named Iris, a name given by Jaehyun himself because he was so very fond of the bright flowers. His mother always scolded him about how much time he spent losing himself in the woods, chasing rabbits and hares with Iris despite that being his father’s duty.

He preferred overwhelming himself with these type of thoughts and remembrances instead of thinking about the dark brown locks belonging to his mother that closed the door that wretched day, leaving him alone at home. The last expression crossing her face that he could vividly remember was the love-filled, melancholic smile she gave him the night before, after a bedtime story, when she rummaged through the drawers in her room and retrieved a silver spherical bracelet, with a black and blue chiseled pattern around it that resembled little shining stars. Jaehyun thought it reminded him of the constellations his father used to teach him about. She handed it to him and simply stated: “ _when you find someone you love, that you really love, gift this to them. It was your grandfather’s wedding present to your grandmother and it was also mine. I like to believe that the person that will make you feel fulfilled will think about you every time they set their gaze on it.”_

Fate had a strange way to present itself. Only a day later and he wouldn’t have known about the existence of such a token that was the very symbol of true love in his family: he was tempted to leave it on his parents’ tomb, but he never knew where they were buried. Too much of a luxury for a low-born orphan. Only one day. One day more and he would have lost all traces his biological family ever existed, ever nurtured him. Just one day.

Jaehyun’s mind snapped from its own trip down memory lane to find out Johnny was out of his sight. He turned right and left, scanning his surroundings, only to feel his presence about 200 meters north from his position. The werewolf had ventured through the pile of wet timber accumulated on the east side of the lake, after tracing the scent that permeated the pine he was leaned against. There was another scent he could pick, but it was mingled with something else that contrasted his senses and prevented him to trace it properly.

At first look, nothing much could be seen, besides the shores and a bunch of trees surrounding a small hill springing from the ground, facing the lake. Following its natural, laid out course, it was possible to work your way around it and find yourself on an unleveled ground, descending even more on the rear side. The unbeaten path kept going, until they were able to spot the entrance of a rocky hideout, almost carved artificially into the surface. It was the first time he had seen it and he was almost sure it was still a secret to anyone, since it was thought to be particularly dangerous to roam around the backside of that area, tales of death, blood and mysteries steeping its reputation.

Johnny looked at his back, surprised to find Jaehyun already at his shadow, his quick and silent steps almost making him a ghost to his ears. He gazed at him with a mix of confusion and curiosity. «Go on, I’ll follow you». Johnny nodded in response and bent himself to accommodate the entrance’s height, not ending up rolling on the damp rocks for just a few centimeters. He kept going, circling the narrow corridor, until he spotted a trail of steps rusted by the water that lead him into a small cave. Jaehyun followed shortly, just like he had said. He neared to his side, setting his eyes on the ceiling that was on top of them, opaque, moldy shades bedecking the crafted space.

«What the hell is this place? I didn’t know there was such a cave under the lake», Johnny uttered.

Every word they pronounced would echo on the walls around them. They could hear the babbling of the water, every gust of wind would sound amplified down there. There was a high humidity level, probably caused by the waves smacking into each other, leaving little drops hanging from the pointy parts of the rocky walls that marked the time in a slow rhythm when falling.

«This is literally built _under_ the water. If I didn’t know better, I’d say this is where mermaids could live. What a sight».

Johnny sounded a tad overexcited to have found that place, his eyes jumping from one detail to another, taking the view in. It was indeed a peculiar sight, fantasy-like even, but Jaehyun was too immersed in noticing the traces of human presence to join Johnny in his cheerful exploration. Remains of wax and ashes were scattered on the damp floor, still stuck into the folds of the rocks; little sheets of paper, burned and scribbled on, could still be seen here and there, almost imperceptible to human eye. Despite being an encompassed, almost secluded area, there was a very narrow hole on the highest part of ceiling, which was considerably tall for the type of entrance they had to go through upon their arrival. It seemed it was shaped as a funnel, widening the more you enter. From that crack it originated the only source of light that could be seen in there, making it possible to distinguish whether it was day or night, at least.

«It seems we’re not the only ones who discovered this place recently». Jaehyun tried to grab the paper left on the ground, but it was so fragile it shattered the moment he held it in his hand. Following with his eyes the remains that flew in the air, he set his gaze upon a symbol drawn on one of the walls, white against the pale gray and brown background, almost too pale to be noticed. Jaehyun frowned his brows and stood closer, squatting down in the corner where he spotted the drawing. «Johnny, come here. I think I have found something». He gestured for his partner to come beside him, turning his head towards him.

The werewolf tilted his head towards Jaehyun’s voice and headed to the point where he was bent, his right shoulder touching the vampire’s right one.

«You see it too, right?», Jaehyun asked as soon as he was sure the other could hear him properly.

Johnny neared closer with his sight, barely distinguishing the charcoal on the wall. He had never seen that symbol nor did he know what it meant. It had an intricate pattern, two big squares juxtaposed in the center at different degrees, a smaller set of them continuing in the very core, almost creating a hypnotizing effect. At the center of it all there was an elliptic-shaped figure, with a blackened circle in it, almost recalling the features of an eye. At the corners of the rear square, there were pentagon-like lines with pointy ends, resembling the shape of flower petals. Slim spades-like drawings occupied the other four ends of the more eminent square. It seemed like the two most important blocks were originally of a different color, now almost as pale as the rest of the wall.

«I have no idea what this is», Johnny mumbled, trying to trace the features with his hand without touching it, afraid of erasing some part of it by mistake. «Have you ever seen it?», he asked to Jaehyun.

The vampire was still looking at it, as if he were in some kind of trance. «I have this feeling I’ve already seen this symbol somewhere, but I can’t recall when or what it stands for».

«I’m going to take a picture of it and send it to my pack, to see if they can do some digging». He started rummaging inside his jacket. «Not Mark though, he can’t even open a chat without shutting down his phone».

Johnny grabbed his phone from his pocket and moved it closer, lowering it at the same height as the pattern.

«There’s no signal down here, I’m going back outside to send the pic». He then looked at Jaehyun, who was now trying to sketch it on his hands, fingers moving according to his eyes. «Are you coming?»

«Give me a minute and I’ll join you», he replied, giving the werewolf a serious and absorbed but reassuring look. Johnny noticed Jaehyun’s tense features, his side profile displaying the cut of his jawline. There was something endearing about him but he couldn’t quite figure out what it was: despite the serious age and power gap (at least when he was not in his animal form) between the two of them, he felt like he had to continually reassure him and be the protective one in general. It was an irrational thought, he knew that, as the vampire could rip his throat in half in just a second, but he couldn’t bring himself to be afraid of Jaehyun, even when he stared at him with those deep eyes of his. He grew accustomed pretty quickly to his face and now it felt like he had known him for centuries, his expressions exuding unusual familiarity. _Weird_ , he thought.

Johnny retraced his steps and reached the top of the hill from which they had discovered the entrance. The weather was now very windy and cloudy, the water sweeping in swift circles, mud coming from the bottom and mixing with the surface. It looked like it was going to rain soon, so he had just a few minutes to do what he had to do and come back home. Jaehyun was still nowhere to be seen when Johnny found a spot where signal was strong enough to send Haechan the picture he took in the cave. He was now almost on top of a cliff: he had reached it unconsciously, holding his phone in the air with one hand while he tried to balance himself with the other, the steepness wringing out of him an extra effort not to trip on his own feet.

He raised his head from his phone and looked around him. There was a sense of uncomfortableness he could pick, a feeble perception of mixed emotions he could sense all around him. Johnny turned his head, searching for Jaehyun, but he found no one behind him. _Is there someone else?_

The scent became stronger all of a sudden and the werewolf could now pinpoint the direction it was coming from. He was still pretty far from it, but he was at least sure the two of them weren’t alone. As he was heading towards the other side of the ground, trying to spot or follow who it was, he felt a stabbing pain at his stomach, quickly spreading throughout his lower abdomen.

He stopped walking, squatting down on his knees, his face writhing in agony. It wasn’t a simple spasm, as he felt a paralysis-like sensation overcoming both his inferior arts. He stood up, barely, trying to call for Jaehyun’s help but no sound would come out of his mouth. He stumped away from where he was, without realizing how close to the edge he had come, with his eyes shutting every five seconds because of the pain, now almost unbearable. It was in the span of a second, as he felt his foot not balancing on the surface, and he found himself slip on an unsteady group of rocks, plunging into the water below him as a result.

The impact didn’t stun him as much as he expected: the real problem was that he couldn’t move his limbs and swim out of it. He felt like a trapped guinea pig, waves pulling him along with them back and forth, spurred by the strong wind and the inchoate rain that was starting to fall down.

Thirty seconds had passed and Johnny was now struggling to breathe, little bubbles coming out of his mouth whenever he tried to open it and reach the surface. He had never been really good at holding his breath, even while taking one of those stupid bets with his friends during a boring afternoon. He felt heavier the more he tried to stay awake: his legs still didn’t seem to respond to his commands and time was slipping through his hands. The lack of oxygen was now fully overwhelming his mind and Johnny decided that it would have been easier and more peaceful to just let himself go, completely helpless in the power struggle against the tides and the invisible force that inhibited the use of his body.

The last thing he saw before his eyelids lowered permanently was a pair of silver sparkling gems drawing closer, the contrast with the dark blue void that engulfed him making them stand out even more in his eyes, and the brush of the palm of someone’s hand on his left cheek and neck, so firm yet delicate he felt he could start breathing again just from that touch alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. I have posted a bit of background info on my twitter [here](https://twitter.com/__JAEHKYUN/status/1076602849491124225) if you want to know a more about characters and/or general inspirations! enjoy
> 
> P.P.S. I really do appreciate comments, of any sort, so if you don’t want to leave it here [this is my cc](https://curiouscat.me/JAEHKYUN) if you want to do it anonymously


	4. IV. Ghosts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took longer than I thought to post, but I guess better than later right? Exams and lack of inspiration got the best of me but anyway I hope you enjoy it!!  
> P.S. I decided to put short titles for each chapter, starting from this one and I have also added it to previous ones!

There is nothing scarier than the unknown. Being blind and numb to every little thing that surrounds you, having no control over your own body’s actions, but also waking up covered in drips of cold sweat and not recognizing the linen sheets and the view peering out from the window’s curtains in front of you. They were left ajar, with only a dim gleam piercing through the fabric, leaving a narrow trail of bright dust flakes twirling in the cold air. The only sound breaking that surreal silence came from a crackling fire that made the room smaller, more welcoming. He opened his tired eyes and tilted his head, trying to figure out where he was laying down, still not too sure it wasn’t just one of his dreams.

He adjusted the pillow behind him and raised his upper body, putting pressure on his elbows. It was not bright enough for him to figure out whether it was dawn or dusk and his eyelids still felt incredibly heavy to discern the time, his headache hindering too much thinking. Johnny’s right hand brushed the silk he was wearing, only in that moment noticing he wasn’t only in somebody else’s bedroom but he was also wearing somebody else’s clothes.

He remembered the fall and the impact with the waves: he remembered the sudden cold, the shivers down his spine caused by the unnatural immobility, the freezing water filling his ears and nostrils.

He thought he was going to die.

For all he knew, he _was_ indeed dead and all he was experiencing now was merely a fragment of his delusions, now free to roam around his mind – for who could ever live in such a room? With such clothes? Who could ever wake up and being greeted by such a view?

He lied on top of a four-poster bed, with enough room on both his sides to let another person slide in. The canopy cover was very light, a tender cream color that matched the sheets and the pillowcase supporting his back. The ceiling seemed insanely high for a bedroom, all wooden cladding with golden shades and a single, faint chandelier made of candles.

 _How long have I been here_? Johnny tried to retrace the threads of his memories, but the more he went further back, the more the threads tangled into a shapeless skein. The pain he experienced before and during that apparently eternal minute, during which he was completely underwater, the frustration of being able to do nothing to swim his way up and escape the knot of waves dragging him, those were the only things taking up the entire space in his mind, gripping to every empty edge like tentacles.

With a confused expression, he started to look around him, to solve at least one of the mysteries surrounding his current situation. The room he was now in was not a usual one: it felt like even the air he was breathing had passed its expiration date. There was an odd-looking painting hanging on the other side, right in front of the bed, that he couldn’t clearly distinguish because of the lack of brightness. A coat rack occupied the small space beside the door, followed by a series of bookshelves and a black trunk. It still all felt very foreign to him, like he wasn’t actually looking at it.

Johnny finally set his gaze on the night table at his left, where few trinkets sparkled under the – now he could at least tell it for sure – moonlight coming from the window. Among the charms, he recognized a simple necklace that he had seen just some hours before, hanging from someone’s neck. He stretched his left hand and picked it up, raising it until he could gaze at it in the backlight.

A moon necklace. He figuratively smacked his own head for being so clueless. _You’re a fool, Johnny Suh_.

«Jaehyun saved me».

Those were the first words he had pronounced since waking up. It was like triggering a chain reaction, his mind finally granting him the possibility of bringing to the surface the last images of that day before passing out. He saw Jaehyun’s expression, the dread in his eyes and the trembling hands, the very same necklace swinging from his pale neck while trying to cup his face and push his body up, his hand clenching around his waist. He thought he had never seen a vampire so distressed, so soaked up in worry, not even when they learned about the murders in town. He looked like his entire life depended on saving one single person and Johnny was honestly very confused.

Confused because, while he could have expected Jaehyun was going to be the one to save him, he certainly did not expect to see that side of him. Confused because his own reaction gave away the fact that he was glad about it.

The necklace was still in his hands, his fingertips wobbling and toying with it. He was supposed to get up and look for him, he wanted to thank him, he wanted to ask what happened while he was knocked out, if there was any news on the symbol they had found in the cave, but he couldn’t move even an inch of his body. He felt useless.

Johnny always liked having everything under control because it made him feel safe, but nothing about this situation seemed graspable and the more he thought about it, the more he became nervous. Being looked after, that was a first for him, ever since he lost his parents and his older brother moved out: time and circumstances forced him to grow up quickly and craft, almost from scratch, an iron will and a reliable persona; for his pack, for and in front of the other representatives, but mostly for himself. Only cold nights and lonely forests knew about his melancholy that resurfaces from time to time, when he found himself alone with his own mind.

A loud bark coming from the yard interrupted his quiet thoughts. Johnny remembered he was supposed to meet with his pack that day and that they were probably worrying about him being nowhere to be found. He instantaneously reached for his phone, only to recall that he probably lost it at the lake, still not sure if it was before or after his fall.

Three light knocks reached his ears after half a second. Jaehyun didn’t wait for an answer and opened the door, bringing with him a tray with some plates on it and a glass of water. A piece of cutlery, wrapped in a napkin, was placed on the side. Johnny’s stomach unintentionally growled in response to the smell coming from the tray, his hunger heightened from the sudden visit and the scrumptious-looking food.

«I’m glad you’re finally awake».

Jaehyun approached the bed and settled the tray on the edge, leaving Johnny the time to adjust himself in a more comfortable position to eat while he flicked on a few lights. «I had something prepared for you since it’s already dinner time. You must be starving». He wavered for a few seconds and then decided to seat just a few inches ahead on the bed, careful not to occupy too much space.

«Thank you». Johnny hastily combed his bed hair with his fingers and proceeded to move the tray on his knees. His tone hinted at a pinch of embarrassment and he felt his throat and neck heating up in response.

Jaehyun’s gaze was glued to what stood in front of him, shifting from Johnny’s face to the food, smiling wholeheartedly at the sight of the werewolf picking up a spoon and digging into the soup. He made sure he didn’t have to worry about anything as long as he stayed under his roof and bringing him a meal was just a very small act of kindness he felt happily compelled to oblige. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted his necklace on the night table beside the table, which was now shining shyly in the dimness.

«So that’s where I left it. Weird, I’ve come here quite a few times since yesterday and never noticed it». He stretched out his upper body and took it in his hand, shoving it in one of his pockets. He was wearing rather comfy clothes, a big oversized hoodie and tracksuit pants, his long hair hiding most of his forehead, making him look younger than his age. He didn’t have time to prepare himself, having spent the entire day in the library, but Johnny didn’t care. He was experiencing a new side of him and found his expression and attire quite endearing, making him feel like he was truly at home.

The werewolf put down the spoon and stopped munching at the piece of bread he had found near the biggest plate. His stomach was no longer so impatient to satisfy its needs and his brain and heart urged him to utter the words he felt too sheepish to utter before.

«Thank you», he started, «for everything. I mean it. Thank you for letting me stay here. Thank you for the food». He breathed out a timid sight. «But most of all, thank you for saving me, at the lake. I owe you my life». He said it with the uttermost sincerity and gratitude, holding his gaze with a fiery determination.

Jaehyun slightly opened his mouth, an almost imperceptible change in his eyes. He nervously started playing with his hands in his lap, shifting his gaze away. «You’re welcome», he whispered, «I just wish I could have made it sooner. It’s j-just that–» Almost a minute of silence passed while he tried to properly organize his own thoughts.

«Is there something wrong?» Johnny asked, slightly leaning with his torso towards Jaehyun.

«I’m fine. It’s just that… I panicked. Before diving in, I froze for a little and panicked. My parents…» Jaehyun brought his right hand to his ear and scratched it, sighing loudly while tilting his head. He thought about whether to say it or not for a few seconds. «I guess I was reminded of how my parents died. They drowned because of a stupid accident with their carriage. Lost control of it and ended up at the bottom of the ocean. I thought I didn’t want to go through it again. I already lost someone like this. I didn’t want to lose anyone else».

Johnny felt like he wasn’t supposed to hear this. Jaehyun’s soft and calm voice cracked while saying those last words and it felt like a chink appeared in his heart too. Because he also lost his parents at a very young age, even though it was for a different reason. Because he could relate to the fear of living with the memory of losing them.

Because he didn’t want to be the one to revoke such a dreadful reminder in him.

He instinctively reached for Jaehyun’s hand in his lap, his thumb brushing his fingers ever so delicately, almost like a feather, a touch that made him realize how smooth his skin actually was. He didn’t know if he was supposed to do this, if he was overstepping his boundaries or pushing his good luck too much, but an odd urge of soothing his soul arose in his body and Johnny reacted accordingly, seeking the vampire’s warmth (or should he say coldness? Jaehyun’s hands were not cold. Or at least, not colder than his. Oddly, he was the one in the pair always with freezing limbs) to show him he was right there.

«I’m sorry. I didn’t know», he mumbled, «you don’t have to tell me all of this».

Jaehyun was looking at their interwoven fingers with a soft, melancholic and even lost expression, taken aback by the cold skin that seized his. But there was no real cold in that touch once you deepen your reach. He slightly jiggled his fingertips, eager to respond to his move.

«It’s alright. It happened a long time ago anyway». He lifted his knuckles that were wrapped by Johnny’s hand, scratching the sheets, and lightly touched his palm. «I just have a hard time when it comes to deep waters».

It felt actually cathartic talking about it, Jaehyun thought for himself. More than once century had passed since that moment but he never felt the need the share his story to anyone, mostly because he didn’t feel comfortable enough to bring up the topic. Only one person knew, but that person was now dead. His master, his sire, his savior.

What could have been his doom.

Junmyeon knew about it because he was the one who dragged him out of the orphanage and offered him a second chance at life. A breath of fresh air had filled his lungs the first time Jaehyun saw him walking into the common area while he was helping the little ones doing their homework: there was a tangible aura around him that lured every living and breathing thing to show him reverence. But Junmyeon only had eyes for the honey-haired boy with doe eyes that was helping a little girl hold her pencil in the right way, traces of graphite scattered on his finger and wrist.

Jaehyun remembered it all. All the moments they spent together. When he turned, their conversations about art, music, emotions. Even the end of it, even if it felt like being torn in half from the pain. All of it.

He raised his gaze at Johnny and showed a shy smile, driving himself away from dwelling too much on the past, his hand now taking over and hovering over Johnny’s. «Enough talking about me. How are you feeling today?»

«I’m feeling great. I really needed to sleep, I guess. By the way, how much time has passed?» Johnny replied, fidgeting in his seat and looking around at his surroundings.

Jaehyun chuckled. «You have slept for an entire day, Johnny. I thought the fall did something to your brain, but it seems you just needed a day off. I worried for nothing».

The awareness of being completely MIA for an entire day made Johnny almost shiver for all its implications. He didn’t have a phone anymore, he didn’t warn anyone, he basically disappeared right after telling the rest of the pack about this new turn in the case. He was ready to be welcomed by Chenle’s high-pitched complains and Lucas’ energetic reactions at his explanation – at least Jeno was going to be there to try to calm them down.

«They are going to nag at me so much once I come back».

Jaehyun tilted his head, furrowing his brows slightly in a very feline motion. «If you are talking about your pack, don’t worry about it. I’ve sent Jaemin to inform them of everything, he was more than happy to go».

Another one. Another thing to add to his list of ‘thank you for’s he should have said earlier in the evening. But Johnny was relieved his friends didn’t have to spend their day thinking about all kinds of apocalyptic scenarios, as he knew how dramatic most of them would get at the slightest inconvenience. «Oh, that’s… uhm, great. I should thank him when I see him».

Jaehyun sighed in frustration, crossing one leg under the other on the bed and leaning his head against one post of the bed. «You say ‘thank you’ way too many times». His hand was still over Johnny’s and only in that moment he realized he was still holding it, the shift in position letting it slide on the sheets and making him lose contact. Realization of what he had unconsciously done hit him like a train and he tried his best to look unbothered, his eyes searching for a spot on the wall in front of him not to think about it.

«Ah– people say that to me some times». Johnny giggled at his reaction, watching Jaehyun get frustrated as if he was handling a nuisance. His excessive politeness was a nuisance to him. A cute one, but still. It was while looking at him that he remembered. «I almost forgot… Have you found something on the symbol in the cave?»

The vampire shrugged his shoulders as a response and straightened his back. «I had very few time to do research in the library here – _I spent a lot of it here, waiting for you to wake up_ , was what crossed his mind, but kept it to himself – but I’m pretty sure we won’t find anything. This type of magic is relatively new, at least for a being like me».

Johnny raised one eyebrow, anticipating the question mark on the tip of his tongue. «Magic? Did I miss something while I was taking my beauty sleep?»

«Not much», Jaehyun said, with a mocking grimace on his face directed at his lame joke. «I remembered where I saw this symbol. A few years ago there was an accident with the witch coven. As you know, we live in civil times now, but it hasn’t always been like that». The vampire adjusted his posture and brushed his messy hair with one hand. «It was said they were a radical association and the coven always denied any type of connection of them. I think this symbol represented them or something. Anyway, my… _sire_ dealt with them directly at the time. I was merely one of the many here, doing what told to; I knew of the situation but not too much information was shared with me. I only remember the design of it. I’m pretty sure all of this was covered up by… well, everyone. That’s why I couldn’t find anything. That must have been a very unpleasant story».

Johnny stayed quite, listening to Jaehyun’s words, absorbed in his own thoughts. His guts had warned him about witches being involved from day one: during his past he learned of how most of them operated and how they thought. Most of them had God’s complexes. Having that much power in their hands drove them crazy, especially when it can be used any time of the day. Being tied to them meant struggling to keep their pace, that’s what he learned. Of course, this wasn’t the case with everyone, but his own experience left a very marked spot in his mind. Vampires and werewolves have somehow their feeble weaknesses, even if subtle ones, but witches viewed themselves as invincible. It can be overwhelming and overbearing and Johnny didn’t want to feel like that again, like an undesired hitch, unable to keep up. He was a wolf through and through, with even more power than before: things changed and he now had the self-confidence to assert his own worth with anyone.

«I wasn’t alone». Johnny gathered the last piece of memories he was searching for since waking up. It was the dead of the night and no sound came from outside, except for the owlish chirping echoing through the trees. «At the lake. I wasn’t alone. At first I thought it was you, but now, thinking about it, it might have been a witch».

He placed his elbows on his crossed legs and rested his chin on his hands. Jaehyun looked at him with a reprehensible expression. «You should have told me this sooner. You fall wasn’t accidental, then».

«I think it was – my feet always betray me in the most pivotal moments – but the excruciating pain I felt before falling was far worse and far more intentional. I felt my bones rearranging in my body».

The vampire was now completely enraged. «What do you mean pain? I had no idea this happened!» He leaned forward, the cracks from the hearth seeming to match his nervousness. «This is way more serious than I thought! I should call for the doctor agai-»

Johnny clenched Jaehyun’s arms with his hands, sensing the alarming thoughts popping up in his mind. He gently pulled his hoodie’s sleeves, allowing the boy to focus on him while he lightly stroked his forearms. «Jaehyun, listen to me. I’m fine. We wolves heal fast. There’s nothing to worry about now. It’s gone».

His words seemed to do the trick, even if slowly. Jaehyun stared back at him almost soullessly, his doe eyes a pit of silver and night blue. Johnny felt bad and he didn’t know what for exactly. Those eyes had been haunting him since day one, shapeshifting the way he perceived them. He wanted to brush his eyelids with his fingertips and trace his eyelashes one by one. He wanted to spend his time counting the sparkles in them, fireflies looming against the dark sky. He wanted to do that and more, for he felt he had accidentally made him hurt. Again. It was all in his head and it was all over Jaehyun’s face. Though Johnny had no right to do that and he knew. He was starting to know by the way his body and mind reacted to him and it filled him with worry. He has always been very self-conscious, but this time he wanted to pretend nothing was happening.

«Alright. But next time» Jaehyun said, raising his index finger, «this is the first thing you are going to tell me, okay?»

Johnny felt a burdening rock leaving his shoulders. «God, I hope there won’t be a next time».

He managed to bring out a noise of frustration out of him, but he clearly saw Jaehyun’s features relax. That peacefulness was soothing and invigorating – his soul and body craved something like that like a balm, but he dared not to pursue it. He was getting tangled in an unashamedly dangerous play, after swearing not to be involved like this again. Whatever his heart was brewing, he had to stop it before he could regret it.

«But we still have to find out who it was. It may all be connected». Jaehyun scratched his jawline with a thoughtful look. «There’s an esoteric library downtown, just two hours away from here. It’s not well known as it is part of a very off-the-book network of fanatics, but it might help us more than the dusty pages in here». His voice sounded genuinely zealous. «When you feel completely healthy, we should check it out».

«I guess I am already? I mean, nothing is broken», Johnny replied, «I am fed, no more sleep deprived, I apparently now even own a pair of silk pajamas». He felt out the fabric with his hand, touching his chest. «This is the healthiest I’ve ever been in my twenty-four years on this earth», he finished with a giggle.

Jaehyun shook his head, an unamused little smile appearing on his lips. He had the smallest eye smile when you compare to how big the werewolf actually was. He wasn’t short by no means and Johnny still managed to surpass him by at least five centimeters. «I expect it to be returned washed and ironed», he uttered, raising a mocking eyebrow, «nothing is free in this estate. But you get a free pass for one or two other meals from the kitchen, since you liked it so much. Let’s call it a special gift». This was pretty much the vampire’s way of telling him he could stay there for another day, if he wanted.

Johnny faked a chuckle and looked at him with a compliant look. He truly had to learn how to say no sometimes. «Deal». 

❅❅❅

«Stop slamming the door so loudly otherwise you’re going to pay for it», Taeil sighed, rolling his eyes. He stretched his legs and raised a questionable look at the person in front of him who had just entered his room. A strong whiff of incense and burned wax reached his nostrils and eyes, causing him to blink multiple times. It was the middle of the day and his out of space procrastination abilities didn’t allow him to finish reading all the papers he had accumulated on his desk.

«We have a problem», Yuta replied, making space for another person to walk in.

«And what’s new about that». The two of them were joined by their closest friend. «Taeyong. Did Yuta drag you here to listen to his rants?»

The red-haired witch took a seat, positioning his elbows on the chair’s armrests. He was wearing a long black cardigan, paired with a soft cream jumper that engulfed his tiny figure and a loose pair of black pants. Taeyong was known as the one who loved jewelry and shining things sparkling at his ears, fingers and neck; he owned a large amount of trinkets and felt rewarded when he had the opportunity to show around his collection. He was just like a little kitty: reluctant, loyal, a ball of fluffiness for those who really knew him. And you could spot him in the distance just by the sound of his pendants, much like having a little bell around his neck. That day was no exception. «Actually, I was the one to drag him here. I think we have a situation that needs solving.»

«I heard it the first time. What’s the matter?»

Yuta and Taeyong exchanged a brief stare and then Taeyong talked first. «I have been in contact with the witches in the bayou. There’s been some unrest, behind the surface». The way he emphasized those last words convinced Taeil this situation needed his full attention.

«You sound profoundly cryptic». Yuta elbowed the witch in a swift motion, standing at his side like it always had been.

Taeyong organized his words in a coherent sentence that could convey the message without sounding excessively alarming. He still hoped all of it would just turn out to be a rumor. Maybe he should have tried to handle it himself before reporting. «Some witches have been expressing annoyance at your latest _political_ decisions, so to speak. In response to that, certain opinions and… traditions have spread like a drip in the water».

Taeil was the one that broke the silence that followed. «This isn’t new, Taeyong. It’s always been like that. You can’t please everyone on this earth because we are all as different as the stars in the galaxy».

«Yeah, I would take it if it didn’t mean destroying a planet in the meantime».

The looks Taeyong received made him realize the analogy wasn’t as appreciated as he thought would be, so he decided to cut it short and say it. He wasn’t going to keep it to himself anymore. «People have started to talk about… to talk about ‘Horus’ again».

Taeil’s expression stiffened in a heartbeat as he widened his eyes, staring at Taeyong’s face from his seat. There wasn’t a single day where he hoped he didn’t have to hear that name again after what happened. There wasn’t a single day where he didn’t replay the images in his head, watching from the sidelines as things unfolded. One of his biggest sorrows laid there, untouched by time and still as vivid as the days it lived in, the scars fresh on his mind as throbbing blood coming from a wound.

Yuta stood at his side, a concerning stare shot at his friend, painfully aware of what that name was reminiscent of to him.

«How sure you are about this, Taeyong? Answer me truthfully», Taeil uttered, raising his head from the blank spot in his lap to which he dropped his gaze.

«Pretty positive: more than one has actively mentioned it and animal fossils have been disappearing from the ossuary for more than a month, I believe». He lowered his voice, leaning towards the other two witches in front of him. «This can’t be a coincidence, right?»

Taeil sighed in frustration and looked up to Yuta, who reciprocated his concerned gaze. They both knew what that meant far too well and its implications started to worm their way into their minds: same story, different decade. Different century. Possibly, still the same people.

It seems humans always want to bring everything back in time, back to when the only contrapositions were between good and evil, day and night, light and darkness. We go back as we go forward.

«Take me to them», Taeil said, «take me to the witches in the bayou. I have to verify one thing first.» He stood up from his seat, eyeing both of his friends. «Then we can discuss what I’m sure we have all thought about. He is not the culprit until I say so».

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/JAEHKYUN)
> 
> Leaving [my twitter](https://twitter.com/silverkyun) too since I changed @
> 
> Let me know you theories! and I'll try to be a little faster for the next chapter lmao


	5. V. Restraints

Doyoung waltzed down the stairs, carrying a beveled carton in his arms. He was supposed to take it to his room and empty it in one of his drawers: those were his food supplies for an entire month. 

December had come and the weather signaled it with little snowflakes here and there, even though there hadn’t been a proper storm still. The cold had now become a usual occurrence, for humans at least. Doyoung thanked his immortal self for being able to fully enjoy the striking feeling of the freezing winds when they slipped in through his clothes, his undead body taking delight in the sudden gusts.

Two days had passed since Johnny had left the mansion. It was probably the most buzzing the house had ever been, with werewolves going back and forth to check on his conditions and people using the kitchen for the very first time in years.

Doyoung had smelled all kinds of meats and vegetables, the sound of frying pans irking him as he was used to be surrounded by almost complete silence, except for Jaemin’s and Jaehyun’s piano sessions.

Speaking of the devil, Jaehyun hadn’t really stopped for a second ever since the moment he let a drenched Johnny into the house, his body curled up on his shoulders and back. He had padded through halls and rooms, mostly searching for books and alternatively sneaking into Johnny’s bedroom – _I don’t want him to feel lonely_ , that’s what he had said – more than he should have.

Doyoung’s phone ringed for a brief second and he stopped at the bottom of the staircase to check, dropping the box on a small table nearby. Taeyong was asking via texts if he was up for their usual Thursday night together: they had this habit of spending one night every week doing the absolute bare minimum, which usually meant Taeyong dragging him to the cinema or just chilling in his room, huddled and cuddling on the bed with food and drinks at their side to satisfy Doyoung’s persistent need to rest, even though vampires didn’t really need it that much.

He was so focused on mindlessly tapping his reply he didn’t notice Jungwoo had reached his side, peering at the box behind the other vampire.

«Is that your usual amount?», Jungwoo uttered.

«Yeah, I took one more because I skipped a vial last month».

«I should refill mine as well», Jungwoo said, a frown making its appearance on his face. «Speaking of which, I’m worried about master».

Doyoung finished tapping and tucked the phone in one of his pockets. «What do you mean with that?»

Jungwoo exhaled, leaning slightly against the wall. «He hasn’t been feeding. Not even a single drop of blood in almost five weeks, that is enough to make anyone go insane».

«Remind him to do so. He’s probably just occupied with this entire matter going on».

«I did. More than once. He brushed it off, saying that he was fine and that there was still time». The younger vampire looked sincerely concerned, a worried stare being exchanged with Doyoung.

«I’m sure he knows what he is doing», Doyoung replied, his right hand resting on Jungwoo’s shoulder. «Jaehyun is older than us. He has more experience and he can probably control his hunger better». He turned around and picked the carton with both his hands. «Besides, if he indeed goes insane, I’ll make sure to lock him in the cellar until he pinky swears to feed at least every week».

Jungwoo crossed his arms, making space for Doyoung to pass through. He watched as the other disappeared on his way to his chamber, following the figure with sharp eyes.

The clock in the foyer struck five, alerting the house with its resounding ticking. Jungwoo turned on his heels and headed towards his initial destination, the library, where he was supposed to help Kun rearrange their collection of textbooks in chronological order, a whim he had to accept for the sake of Kun’s botanic research. Snow gently veiled the northern part of the garden Jungwoo could see from the glass windows.

It was probably going to get colder.

❅❅❅

He found Ten sitting on the floor of their greenhouse, back straight, legs crossed, a bunch of herbals and bestiaries scattered all around him with dirt, seeds and tools to match and an engrossed expression engulfing his face.

Taeyong set down his coat on the coat rack and reached his flank, cocking his head to have a better perspective on what was written on the books. Ten stood still, not flinching when his best friend plumped on the ground to sit next to him, hand scratching his chin mindlessly.

«Are you still wasting your time with this research?» Taeyong asked.

«I’m not wasting my time, I’m helping someone». Ten picked a bunch of leaves from the ground and put them through the folds of one of the pages, turning it over.

Taeyong leaned back, arms placed straight behind his back. «You know, I still don’t understand how you ended up being _friends_ with Kun of all people. You’re as different as day and night».

«We are not… friends. He’s an acquaintance».

«Hmm-hmm. Acquaintances don’t study together and help each other with this type of things».

«Are you here to criticize the people I hang out with, Taeyong?» Ten replied, raising his left brow as he slowly tilted his head towards the witch.

Taeyong slightly hardened his tone. «Maybe not today», he stated, straightening his posture and conjuring an earnest expression to match his question. «I wanted to ask you what your plans are for tomorrow».

Ten kept looking at the display of little stems and colorful petals in front of him, keeping an eye on his personal grimoire at the same time. «What do you think? It’s not like I’m going to throw a party».

Taeyong sensed the pinch of irritation in his best friend’s voice and wished he had the ability to formulate more comprehensive sentences. He didn’t mean it like that, but he knew how it may have sounded like, coming off of his mouth. «I mean, if you need anything, if you want to talk, you know you can ask me anytime».

It seemed like only a few moons had risen and fallen since that day, but the first anniversary had caught up on everyone at the coven.

The first anniversary of the death of Ten’s parents.

Ten’s parents were leading figures of the coven, as well as his entire family, one of the purest and most ancient bloodlines that made up the mosaic of witching families from all over the country that created the current coven. Ten’s family was one of the founding ones, a lineage of witchcraft that stretched back to several centuries earlier. Ten had always worn his surname with pride and a bit of cockiness, a guarantee of reverence and respect wherever he would go.

Their death was a huge blow for him for it came quite unexpectedly, his parents still relatively quite young. It was a tragedy, that’s all he knew about it. The first weeks passed by draining and soulless as he spent most of his days sobbing while reorganizing their belongings and packing his things to move into the coven’s main abode. That’s how he became Taeyong’s roommate, their bond only strengthened by the dramatic event that brought Ten to him. Their friendship was one of the few things Ten had appreciated during this long, tiring year.

«I’ll probably visit their gravestones, cast a protection spell», he started saying, fidgeting in his seat, «bring them a bunch of fresh flowers or new totems». He looked up from the random page spread before him, clearly a distraction from this entire conversation. «If you want to come with me, I’ll be glad».

Taeyong curled up his legs against his chest, resting his head on his knees. The necklaces, tightly winded up around his neck, produced a loud clanging that echoed through the room. «Of course I’ll come with you». He lightly scratched his shin and kept looking at Ten for confirmation. «Just tell me when you are going».

A quick glance at the clock on the wall made Ten stand up on his feet, gathering the books in his hands and placing them on a windowsill on his left. Traces of pollen brushed the floor as he picked the petals and leaves still scattered and sorted them through, putting them into thin plastic bags, a blank expression accompanying the features of his face.

«I’m done here», he said unapologetically, turning around to face Taeyong, limbs still huddled against his body. «You coming with me? I have to lock the greenhouse before Renjun reports my disappearance to Taeil».

Taeyong grumbled and began to stand up, putting pressure on his wrists. «Yeah, yeah, I’m coming. Go on». He reached for his coat, now as cold as the breeze coming from the outside. The place was only warmed up by a tiny heater in a far corner and by the candles Ten had lighted a couple of hours before. Ten never had problems with cold, Taeyong sometimes thought he was more a vampire than a witch. He had caught him standing in the rain a couple of times, completely absorbed in the moment. «You are not a plant, move away», he had yelled back at him.

He put on his coat and looked around to see if everything was in its place. Ten was already outside, one hand on the handle, ready to lock the place. Taeyong padded a few steps in his direction and then stopped abruptly midway, his eyes not leaving Ten’s back. «Ten?»

He turned around, his lips a thin, straight line. «Yes?»

«Do you think they found peace?» It seemed like the simplest of questions, one even kids could answer, by the way Taeyong breathed out his words.

Ten visibly stiffened, his usually sharp gaze a mere crevice among his features. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, gripping tightly at the handle of the door. Taeyong could see his friend carefully weighting his answer with his thoughts, staring at blank point on one of the walls. He knew the argument was not the easiest for him, but Taeyong genuinely wanted to know his truthful take on a thorny matter that he _knew_ kept Ten awake at night, always one of too many spent tossing around in bed when the moon shined too brightly through the windows, setting purpose-made on his cutting lineaments like a painter brush.

«I hope they found what they didn’t get to have here on earth».

Reasonable, hopeful, understandable. And probably not the one Taeyong truly sought.

❅❅❅

The distant motorbike rumble he had picked up on startled Jaehyun in his spot, making him turn in all directions to encrypt the way it was coming from. He was waiting, sitting on small bench just outside the mansion, iced white snowflakes descending from the skies with a regular, slow rhythm, whitening trees and residences and making everything look like little cotton candy. He stuck out his hand and gathered a handful of snow, crumbling it into the wind a few seconds later with a strained smile on his face. It would have been a perfectly cold, usual day wouldn’t it be for one simple but deadly detail.

It was becoming more and more difficult for Jaehyun to suppress his thirst: his throat closed on itself way more often, breathing panting and irregular when that happened. His gums were sore from the strenuous and continuous attempts made by his fangs to come out and sink into something, anything, to seek some kind of relief. It took a lot of his mental energy to control every single muscle of his face all the time, avoiding to be exposed when in public or even with the other vampires at home.

It hadn’t been on purpose in the beginning, he really had forgotten about feeding the first three weeks after the last time. But then the murders happened and his mind was magically occupied by something else entirely. Still, he had noticed how his body alerted him that something was missing in his system; by that point he didn’t want to feed. At least not yet.

Johnny’s sudden presence in his life reminded him the blood he drank all the time was still human and an irrational but persistent sense of guilt flooded him, his brain fabricating images of what it would look like feeding directly from a human, feeling the pulse of their veins running under his breath, completely at his mercy, while he plunged his teeth into them, leaving them an incoherent mess of blood smears and saliva.

Most of these images involved Johnny.

When he realized his hunger was blinding him, making him see visions of things that he could never let it happen under any circumstance, Jaehyun decided he was going to wait until there was no other option but to feed. He was going to hold it at the best of his capabilities, especially on that day, at least until he was home, alone with his lurking demons.

It didn’t take long before he could spot a motorbike approaching him, the rumble of its wheels stopping piercing his ears. Johnny got off of it, removing his helmet at the same time. He had spotted it a few minutes earlier and since then, a question mark could be read easily on his face.

«Why on earth did you come here on a motorbike? Didn’t you freeze to death?» Jaehyun began.

«Werewolves have higher body temperatures than normal humans, we’re always hot. Well, you know what I mean, but we’re also hot _hot_ as well. Besides», he stopped talking to rummage in his bike’s backside hood. «Here».

He offered Jaehyun a second helmet he had stored in it, meeting the vampire’s lost expression. «What am I supposed to do with this?» he said, taking it into his pale hands.

«Wear it. Aren’t we going to the city now?»

«Yes, but we’re going _by car_ », Jaehyun replied, highlighting how absurd that assumption sounded to him. «I can’t have you spend two hours under the snow and the wind».

«Nonsense. It’s only snowing a little and I have already told you we werewolves feel hot all the time. Vampires are practically dead, so it obviously isn’t a problem for you either. We’re taking a ride on this beauty», he stated, tapping on the bike’s seat. Johnny’s wide grin was only matched by the evident sparkles of excitement he held in his eyes, making it really difficult for Jaehyun to turn this offer down.

The vampire sighed. «Alright. But why?»

Johnny simply shrugged his shoulders. «You once said you wanted to enjoy the ride».

Jaehyun stood still for a few seconds, blinking way more times than necessary. He remembered saying something along the lines of this, mostly on a whim that he pushed away immediately as a wishful thought. Why would Johnny let him ride on his bike? And yet here he was, a helmet in his hands and the werewolf’s pleased expression meeting his own bewildered one.

Jaehyun felt his breathing slow down, a stabbing pain passing through his brain. He touched the point of his protruding canines with his tongue and soothed them with a twirl, trying to bite the insides of his cheeks for release. He could also feel his eyes darkening. _Please, not now_. _Please, not now._

«L-let’s start moving before it’s too late, then», he stuttered.

Two hours went by very slowly for Jaehyun’s standards. He spent the whole ride gritting his teeth, his fists closed so tightly his knuckles were screaming for help. If Johnny had noticed how the vampire suddenly stiffened behind him from time to time, slightly sinking his pads into his lower abdomen like he was in pain, he didn’t show it on his face.

By the time they arrived, Jaehyun was back in control of his body and hoped he would keep it like that at least until he returned home, now painfully aware he had a gigantic need to feed. Having Johnny’s neck so close to his nose, just a few centimeters away from his tongue, clearly didn’t help at all and he wetted his lips way too many times for his own sanity. Thankfully, Johnny didn’t have eyes behind his head.

They parked in the most isolated place they could find, making sure to blend as much as possible with local people. Johnny could still see Jaehyun’s blue and silver enthralling eyes, but he also noticed the moon pendant hanging at his neck, a sign of the spell that mystified his inhuman features.

They walked for at least fifteen minutes, checking various houses’ addresses and matching them with the infos Jaehyun had about this esoteric place that ran a small, off-the-book library as a secondary activity, storing all kinds of reads deemed too “unholy” to be kept in public institutions. He hoped the place still existed and wasn’t dismantled, considering of how far back his intel went, at least a few lustrums. Jaehyun’s face beamed at the sign he remembered very vividly from his past and gestured towards Johnny to follow him inside.

The shop smelled like incense and wax, smoke so thick filling the room that it almost hindered their sight and stung their nostrils. The walls were painted in grey and petroleum blue, making the area look smaller than it really was. All around there were shelves with herbs, plants, weird trinkets, outdated weapons, even bones and potion-looking concoctions. Literally everything that could be associated with the occult by human standards, but not books. Not even a single page.

Behind the counter in front of them, there was a middle-aged man mindlessly reading a magazine and nibbling on a piece of dark chocolate. He wore a black and red flannel shirt, with a white tee underneath and long, heavy-looking stone necklace adorning his neck that could easily pass as one of those baubles you see in cheap movies. He looked tired but not uninterested in what he was reading and it was only a matter of time before he raised his gaze from the journal in his lap and turned to stare at the two people in front of him. He flickered from Johnny to Jaehyun and when he recognized who was standing before his eyes, all he could say was: «Jesus Christ».

«Long time no see, Ryan. You’re aging magnificently». Johnny shot a crooked, confused look at Jaehyun, who clearly seemed to know the man.

«You, on the other hand, haven’t aged a day. It gives me the creeps». He put down the chocolate on a piece of napkin. Ryan gazed at Johnny’s tall figure and scanned him with his stare. «Is he one of yours? A newbie? Recently turned?»

«He’s not a vampire, he’s a werewolf. His name is Johnny and he is a friend of mine».

«Oh», Ryan uttered, visibly surprised at the pairing, «I like them more than you vampires. No offense».

«Nice to meet you too, I guess», Johnny replied while Jaehyun just smirked at his remark.

«We’re here because we need your help. Do you still keep those kind of books?»

«Of course I do, I live more with that than all of these useless things in display all together».

Jaehyun visibly relaxed. « I need something about witches’ covens and organizations during the last two hundred years. Detailed descriptions. Illustrations are also heavily appreciated».

Ryan raised an eyebrow in interest and whistled, getting up from his chair. «That’s a pretty wide time spam. Give me half an hour to gather everything» and with that said, he disappeared behind the curtains that covered a little entrance on his right side.

Jaehyun and Johnny were left alone in the shop and they both decided they would just sit on the counter waiting for the old man to come back with what they needed. Jaehyun sighed, resigned to return to this sort of intimacy between them: it meant he could not stop his mind from focusing on Johnny’s scent again, feeling the blood pumping in his veins beckoning him like a mermaid’s chant. Just a few more hours, he repeated to himself like a mantra.

«Have you come here often?» Johnny asked, breaking the silence surrounding them.

Jaehyun snapped back. «When my sire was still alive, yes. Last time was probably fifteen years ago».

«Fifteen years ago… I was in elementary school fifteen years ago. You were killing people while I was reading Geronimo Stilton».

Jaehyun snorted out loud, letting out a breathy, deep laugh that had his whole body shaking with him and Johnny wondered what was so funny about his latest remark. «The way you said that was actually so comical». After a few seconds, he regained his lost temper and tilted his head to look at the werewolf in the eyes, giving away a pensive expression. «I have done plenty of ugly things I don’t want to recall fifteen years ago. If I had had the opportunity to choose between that and reading Geronimo Stilton with you, I would have chosen the latter without questions».

«Maybe I still have some books left at home, I can lend you one if you really want. You can even smell them». Johnny flaunted one of his smirks paired with a smug look, causing Jaehyun to halt in his movements and gulp. He had wanted to urge him to leave his side so many times in his head, to run away from him as fast as he could. The thirst made his fangs appear again and he squinted, grimacing like he had just felt a cramp.

«Are you okay?» Johnny’s expression changed in a heartbeat and he leaned forward, moving his hand to place it on Jaehyun’s arm to calm him down, but the vampire fended it off with a curt gesture that made Johnny withdraw, visibly hurt and worried. Jaehyun still had his eyes closed, head bent over: it took him a few minutes before he could regain full control on himself and make the red shades in his eyes and his elongated fangs disappear, all while Johnny tried to glean even a word out of him to see if he needed help, stretching and retreating his hand in his direction several times, recalling how badly he was rejected just before and unsure on what to do.

Jaehyun opened his eyes, panting like he had run a marathon. He needed all the oxygen he could get to clear his mind, even though he didn’t need it to live. His sight was back to normal and he raised his gaze, checking with his tongue if the canines were back to normal. He turned to face Johnny, who had a rejected look all over his face, his lips sealed in a tight grimace and trying his best to mask disappointment and utter worry. «Are you alright now?», he repeated.

Jaehyun felt ashamed of how brusque he had been, but telling him the reason why he was acting like that was out of the question. «Yes, I’m fine now», he replied, trying to sound as mellow as he could.

«What was that? You blacked out for a while».

He honestly had no idea how to answer this without desperately sounding like he was making some nonsense story up just to hide the truth. Luckily for him, Ryan had finished his research in the back of the shop and came out from the broom closet holding what seemed like five heavy paper millstones covered in dust. Piled one above the other and covering his face almost completely, he put them down on his side of the counter and let out a groan.

«This is two hundred years worth of registers. Have fun with that, I’m gonna have lunch».

He took a pair of spare keys and made his exit waving at the two of them, whose eyes widened at the amount of pages in front of them, waiting for them to be revived.

«Well, the sooner we start, the sooner we can go home», Johnny announced, avoiding Jaehyun’s gaze to take a latex glove out of the white box on his left side and started flipping the opening page of the first book. Jaehyun stood still, watching him climb on the counter with the book on his lap, following his movements with his gaze. He wanted nothing more than to disappear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/JAEHKYUN)
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/silverkyun)
> 
> p.s. I just started writing next chapter and I really hope it is going to turn out good cause it's a heavy one, that's all I have to say


	6. VI. Hunger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know exactly how these things work, but I guess I should put some tw here? there's like vampire stuff going on so yeah blood, blood play a little bit, biting etc.

Maybe it wasn’t the best of ideas to start in chronological order.

Johnny yawned, stretching his neck left and right. He was stuck on page 125 of 567 of his second book, the remains of a munched sandwich still visible on the counter’s surface. His brain was being bombarded with all kinds of dates, descriptions, spells, events he really didn’t care much about and still no sign of the one thing they were looking for.

He tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling. Johnny was tired, the wind howling outside had become even stronger compared to that morning and they were going exactly nowhere. He stole a glance at Jaehyun sitting beside him, legs crossed and an unreadable expression on his face, the one he always had whenever he had to put up his distant façade with humans.

Johnny sighed and not for his lack of proper rest. Thinking about how the vampire dodged his question earlier, a weird feeling of something unsettled got the better of him. He thought he deserved an honest answer, even if it probably wasn’t the one he wanted to hear. It was difficult to concentrate when his mind convinced him he wasn’t even a welcomed presence anymore and the fact that he didn’t know why made him feel even more uneasy.

Johnny almost slapped close his book in frustration when Jaehyun’s slightly high pitched voice informed him he no longer had to endure through this reading session. «Found it!»

The vampire set down the book on the counter, flattening the pages with his hands. «Look, it’s the symbol we found in the cave».

Jaehyun indicated the exact same drawing with his index and Johnny moved closer to where he was sitting, cocking his head to have a better look. «There’s a description on the opposite page».

In contrast with the rest there, this one was handwritten, with a hasty cursive handwriting and blocks of sentences that didn’t really form a cohesive period. It took them a few minutes and their combined interpretations to make sense of what it was written.

> “ _Witchcraft society […] deta(c)hed […]_ _coven_ _[…]_ _named_ _HORUS […] Suppressed in 1975. Vampires […] took care of it. Undermining […] control of the races […] Plans of a hierarchical government […] Death count (…) twenty years: 66 […] Rebels were found and isolated […] Most of them either tortured or killed […] Formed in secrecy, later discovered and repressed. No survivors. […] TO BE DELETED […]”_

«They clearly forgot to delete it», Johnny remarked, tracing the letters with his pads, «even though they tried». Some spaces were left blank and most of the words were smeared with ink, making them essentially unreadable and for that reason, Johnny and Jaehyun used some imagination and common sense to fill the spots. What came out of it was a rather ominous tagline that didn’t clear all doubts, but certainly reduced them to the point it was easy to assume what they were dealing with.

 _Horus_. «It says here it was suppressed in 1975 by vampires», Jaehyun observed, «then why have I never heard of it?»

«I mean, it does says it was formed secretly… how high up in the ranks were you in 1975?»

«Apparently, not high enough to know about this». Jaehyun didn’t reach the very top of the food chain until his sire died and he knew pretty well he was kept in the dark about a lot of things, but in that moment he really wished he had been brave enough to face Junmyeon about this. _How many secrets did you bring with you that night_?

The sound of the front door opening and the aggressive gust of wind and snow that followed filled the shop, signaling Ryan was back from his lunch break with a certain hurry. His hair was tainted with snow and so were his clothes: he walked back, shaking off the rest of the snowflakes still attached to his body, removing his gloves.

«Jeez, it is so cold outside I have probably turned into an iceberg», he said, shivering. Ryan bypassed Jaehyun and Johnny, reaching the other side of the counter and placing his coat on his chair before turning to face them. «Have you found what you were looking for?»

Johnny started walking towards the other end of the room, trying to sneak a peek at the street through the window glass with an absorbed look on his face, leaving Jaehyun to talk to the shop owner by himself. «We did, but it wasn’t enough. The descriptions are lacking in every department and the ones we have don’t really add that much to what we know already».

Ryan placed his elbows on the surface, raising a brow. «Well, don’t look at me. You pay, I give you what you want. Don’t kill the messenger».

«You know, for someone who spends so much time in these four walls, you would guess you actually know shit about what you own», Jaehyun hissed.

«Jaehyun».

Johnny’s guttural voice called for the vampire, who tilted his back in his direction. He was standing close to the front door, one hand scratching the back of his head. «Yes?»

«I think we can’t head back just yet». Jaehyun set down the book in his hands and hopped off immediately, eyes darting from Johnny to the sidewalk in front of him. It was an unconditional reflex, but his mind went back to that day at the lake, when he was almost one second away from catastrophe. He trusted his instincts more than anything else, but the persistent sense of doom was something he grew up with and couldn’t really shake it off for all the years he had been alive or dead. Jaehyun was very much relieved to see Johnny was only complaining about the weather.

«The snowstorm has blocked everything. We have to wait until it dies out, at least».

Jaehyun exhaled. «I don’t want to say I told you to come here by car, but I told you so».

Johnny rolled his eyes, taking a step back. «The idea of spending an afternoon in this place isn’t that appealing to me». He peered at Ryan, who was arranging the books left by chronological order to put them back on their shelves. «Is it that necessary to have so much incense in here? My nose itches».

«Hey», he shouted back, «if the cold and the ice and the wind seem nicer to you, you’re welcomed to go sightseeing».

«No one is freezing anywhere», Jaehyun intervened, stretching his arms in both directions. «There’s an abandoned cottage we used as a meeting place long ago not too far from here. We’re going to stay there for the time being. I can get us there in less than five minutes».

Johnny set his gaze on the vampire. «Didn’t you hear me earlier? I don’t know if we can even reach my bike, wherever it is now, buried under the snow».

Jaehyun started gathering his coat, along with his other belongings left on the counter. He pulled out his phone to take a picture of the little to no info they had found about what apparently now had a name but still not a face. He was hell bent on asking Taeil what the hell was going in the witchcraft world as soon as possible. «I’m carrying you, come on».

Johnny goggled at Jaehyun in surprise from the other side of the shop. He had probably heard it wrong. «I’m sorry, what?»

«You heard it right. If I use my enhanced speed we should be there in five minutes». He flaunted a newfound haughtiness, towards which Johnny was even more confused. «You can resist under the cold for that long, right?»

«Sure thing, but the real question here is: can _you_ carry me for five minutes straight?»

Jaehyun chuckled, a smirk appearing on the corners of his lips. One of his dimples appeared briefly. Johnny could not tell if it was a mocking one or a compassionate one. Maybe both. «I could lift you with my index finger if I wanted, Johnny». He turned towards Ryan, who was pretty much ignoring both of them, brushing the cover of the registers with a peculiar pair of bristles, to prevent mildew to sip through them. «We’ll be in touch».

The owner mindlessly waved at them. «Yeah, yeah, go away freaks, you are scaring the costumers».

Johnny wanted to rebut that there wasn’t anyone else in the shop besides them, but he halted when he found Jaehyun waiting for him, hands firmly attached to his hips, his weight shifted on his left leg. He sighed. God, he was really doing this.

❅❅❅

It really took just five minutes to reach a place any vehicle would have reached in at least twenty-five. The world around Johnny became just a blur, contrails of color that merged all into one at some point. He avoided being hit in the face by the snow and freeze by hiding his face in the crook between Jaehyun’s neck and shoulder, causing Jaehyun to grit his teeth at the warmth of Johnny’s breath hovering over the fabric of his coat. He was doing amazingly, he repeated to himself, he couldn’t succumb at the last minute.

The place that greeted them was isolated from the rest of the main city, as most of the vampires’ hideouts were, for safety reasons. No human could have reached that wooden cabin if they didn’t know it already existed. Inside, a muddle of cobwebs and deep-seated dirt covered most of the place. There was on old table with five chairs placed on top of it, some with a leg missing, some scratched in various spots. The remaining other pieces of furniture stained the air with that smell of closed space and untouched things, making Johnny grimace while he looked around. A black cavity in the northern wall indicated that there was a fireplace sometime in the past and the white and grey smears left on top of it confirmed it.

«I’ll gather some wood real quick to put up a fire, with a bit of luck we could still make it work», Jaehyun said, flattening his clothes. «I hope you can summon your scout skills and do the magic trick, we could also use a bit of light».

Johnny nodded, trying to wipe a bit of dust from the floor the wooden chunks were supposed to be settled on. «You can take the scout away from the forest, but you can’t take the forest away from the scout».

A quarter passed before Jaehyun came back, completely covered in snow that made his already pale contour brighten even more. If he was still alive, he would have shivered at the cold. A few snowflakes remained stuck in the strands of his ash hair and the vampire moved his head left and right, trying to shake them off himself like a wet puppy would, his hands unable to do so for he was holding the logs. Johnny moved closer, taking some of them, unburdening his arms.

He stretched his hand without too much thought, with the intention of removing some of the snow from his face and hair with his thumb. It was a gesture that came completely natural to him, almost domestic, as if he had done it a million times before, as if his fingertips had always brushed his face, as if he had spent countless time of his life tracing Jaehyun’s features. It wasn’t until he saw the vampire’s stiff, almost evil expression, like he had frozen in his spot, lips sealed tight like he was trying to muffle a scream, that he halted, wavering a bit until he settled for a simple notice that he hoped would conceal his initial intention. «You have some snow left on your cheekbones», he simply stated, turning the other way.

 _Why is he mad at me?_ That question was tormenting Johnny since that morning and was now bouncing again on every corner of his brain, while he was trying to place down the logs and conjure a sparkle that would set the fire on. He honestly couldn’t think of a single thing he could have done to deserve that treatment; he actually thought things were going a lot better between the two of them compared to when they first met: but Jaehyun had done nothing short than withdraw from him every time space become too thin between the two all day. He had been avoiding him like the plague, like he would catch a disease if he allowed Johnny to touch him. Except for when it was strictly necessary, Jaehyun hadn’t encourage any kind of close contact and he didn’t know if what was bugging him was the fact that he didn’t know the reason why or that the lack of shared space was bothering him.

Johnny kept using a flint and a knife he had magically found on a shelf while the other was away, scraping it energetically. Jaehyun squatted down beside him with one swift move, but not too close, legs curled up against his chest and elbows on his kneecaps. His entire body was rigid and his gaze was locked on the feeble sparkles that made their appearance on the ground, not paying too much attention to what he was looking at. Fists clenched, he waited until Johnny managed to light a good amount of twigs, blowing on it incessantly. «This should hold for a while», Johnny simply stated, plumping down.

They fell into a rather uncomfortable silence after that, Johnny mindlessly playing with the pebbles scattered on the floor and the rest of the twigs in his hands, Jaehyun a marble statue at his side, so tense the werewolf wondered if he had really turned to stone. Just like with their time alone in the shop, the air around them felt like electric flow, both of them a bundle of nerves for different reasons.

 _I have to get home. I have to get home. I have to get home and feed_ , Jaehyun repeated in his head like a prayer. The snowstorm blocking the streets was literally the last thing he needed, outdone only by the fact that he had to share a small space with the one person he wanted thousand miles away from him in that moment. He would have stayed in the shop, hoping Ryan could intervene in case things took a bad turn, but Johnny was clearly having none of it and he quickly realized there was only so much a human could do against a famished one-century-and-a-half old vampire.

So he stayed still, trying to focus on the fire crackling, letting time pass by with an agonizing pace. Johnny, on the other hand, had a tough time trying to fight the questions and pessimistic conjectures populating his mind. He was now positive Jaehyun didn’t want anything to do with him anymore and was only sticking to his side because he needed to put an end to the story and find the murderers’ culprit. Maybe he had offended him in a way obscure to him, maybe he simply got tired of his presence, maybe he was becoming more and more like Doyoung, annoyed at the mere whiff of a werewolf scent. Johnny could become quite creative while finding excuse for people not to reciprocate his kindness and affection.

He had already decided he would leave him alone afterwards if that’s what he wanted, but not knowing what caused it really bugged him to the point he couldn’t stop the train of thoughts going on in his mind. So he exhaled, raising his chest, and asked what he wouldn’t have dared had he not own his fair share of boldness, perhaps recklessness. He preferred the truth to being left in the darkness.

«Jaehyun», he whined, after a long breath of encouragement, «have I done something to offend you? You have been avoiding me since this morning».

 _So he noticed._ That was it, the vampire thought. He wasn’t going to avoid the topic any longer.

«You did nothing wrong». He dropped his gaze to the tip of his shoes, gulping.

«Then why? Why do you retreat when I approach you?» A hint of frustration cracked through his voice.

Jaehyun tightened the grip around his legs, jaws clenched. If he could get bruises, he would see them appearing the day after. «Do you really want to know? I assure you, it’s nothing you can ch–»

Johnny broke a twig with too much strength and one of the thin branches ended up cutting his palm, as the werewolf grimaced, letting out a groan. Few drops of blood touched the ground while he tried to press on the wound, using his saliva to stop the bleeding. «Damn it».

It happened faster than a lightning. Jaehyun’s eyes went wide at the whiff and the lingering pain his fangs had caused him during that entire day exploded as his canines prolonged almost immediately. He withdrew from his spot, turning his back to Johnny, facing the furthest wall as soon as he felt the blood rushing to his pupils and he knew he must have looked absolutely feral by that point. Nails scratched the bare wood, sounds directly in tune with his panting and loud sniffs. His face felt like someone was pulling it from behind, tearing it apart with their hands. His eyes were veiled with red, thin crimson lines creating a map on the surface. Jaehyun hid his face, but could not hide true self.

«Jaehyun?» he heard saying from what felt like miles away. «Are you… is this the same thing as before? What is going on? Please, tell me». Johnny stood up and started slowly walking in his direction, cautiously measuring each step.

 _Please, go away. Please, disappear. Get out of my sight._ Jaehyun tried to cover Johnny’s pleas with his own. _Don’t make me do this. I don’t want to. Please, run away._ His dry throat sent a throbbing impulse to his fangs that made his lips retreat, revealing his gums. _For the love of God,_ «disappear from my sight!» he yelled, unconsciously voicing the whispers in his head.

Johnny’s jaw clenched and a sudden determination to know what all of this was about arose in him. «I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what the fuck is going on!» he shouted, placing his hand on Jaehyun’s shoulder, in an attempt of making the vampire face him.

Jaehyun put up a weak resistance as he had concentrated all of his mental strength on not snapping here and there and he eventually turned, a defeated expression on his face. Johnny took the sight in, lips parting at the dilated pupils and red sea he was seeing in front of him. Jaehyun looked bare, primordial, absolutely raw. A beast caught into a trap for the first time.

The words came out of his mouth on and off and his voice dropped a few octaves, sounds almost metallic. «Need. F-feeding. I-I haven’t fed f-for almost two months». He tried to convey his sensations and his stubbornness. «P-please, get a-away until I regain c-c-control of myself. Don’t. Want. Hurt you».

Johnny blinked a few times, staring open-mouthed at the fangs poking out of Jaehyun’s lips. He had never seen them so up close and they were longer than he had expected, somehow. Sharp and almost silvery, just like needles.

Was that why Jaehyun was avoiding him? Was he trying to restrain himself from attacking him? It sure made an awful lot of logic, seeing how he was shaking in his place, hands intertwined in his lap, eyes shut. Johnny’s brain didn’t think twice about his next move and his alpha voice made an unexpected appearance for the very first time in all the time he had spent with the vampire.

«Feed from me».

It was a command, Jaehyun knew that. His pack would have obeyed without batting an eyelash, but he wasn’t part of his pack. «Didn’t you hear m-me? I said I d-don’t want to!»

«Oh, for Christ’s sake, just shut up and feed!» Johnny shouted back, staring dead serious in his face.

Jaehyun hissed in response, shrinking in his spot. A muffled whine echoed through the room. «You don’t want me to».

He was right, Johnny shouldn’t have wanted to do this. It was immoral by werewolves’ standards, almost blasphemous. Willingly giving your blood to a vampire was an act of submission, whatever the circumstances were. If they knew, they would have shunned him. If they knew, he would be ridiculed for the rest of his life.

«I won’t repeat myself. _Feed_ ».

It took him a few seconds of disbelief, but Jaehyun eventually scooted over, positioning one hand behind Johnny’s neck and holding him still, while the other navigated his chest until it settled comfortably on his thigh. Despite the fact he was literally seeing blood, he still managed to summon a lot of restrain over himself.

It was a matter of milliseconds until the vampire bent Johnny’s neck, making sure he had enough space to sink in, and removed the few strands of hair behind his ears. Jaehyun’s eyes were now a pool of red and silver, one mingled with the other as starvation had taken over his body, and scanned Johnny’s entire demeanor to ask for further permission. The werewolf didn’t need to answer and simply nodded in his direction, hesitation leaving his mind as soon as he met the tears of desperation forming at the edges of Jaehyun’s feline eyes.

In a certain way, it made Johnny feel powerful, in charge, knowing he was the one who had made Jaehyun feel that way, ready to dispense his merciful help to quench the vampire’s thirst. He immediately switched to the opposite mindset as soon as Jaehyun’s fangs touched and pierced his neck, his grip around it tightening as he proceeded to inject the liquid in his system.

Johnny purred to the touch, head dizzy and slightly tilted back, like the vampire was sucking his stress away more than his blood. The stinging pain caused by the bite lasted only a couple of seconds, before settling down to an overwhelming, addicting feeling he couldn’t attach a name to. He thought he would never say that, but he was basking into the sensation, jolting whenever he felt Jaehyun’s tongue swirl on his bare skin to soothe the pricking. He couldn’t keep his eyes open or his shoulders up, as he sensed his body weakening by the prolonged contact. He didn’t know if it was just his imagination, but he felt Jaehyun’s lips pucker around the upper section of his collarbone, as if he was trying to leave light little kisses along his epidermis.

Nothing he had ever experienced could come close to what he was going through right then, body shivering and sinking into a complete obliteration the more Johnny tried to fight it. He was half disgusted at himself, for how easily he had given up power to a vampire, half aroused at whatever absurd thought, fabricated by the furthest corner of his mind, convinced him that he had actually _wanted_ it, all of it, and 100% shocked this was really happening and it wasn’t just a figment of his imagination.

Johnny struggled to keep his eyes open, stifling guttural growls coming from the back of his throat that would have made anyone else quiver with fear, and tried to look at Jaehyun, who now seemed calmer and more detached, although still famished. The red in his eyes was almost gone, leaving room for his usual, haunting navy blue that looked even more resplendent up close. Their gazes locked and the vampire slowed down in response, as if he was trying to regain control after being caught in an act of disobedience.

Johnny’s breathing was merely a panting by that point and his incoherent whines filled the room, matched by the howling of the snowstorm outside and the crackle of the fire. One hand on his stomach, Jaehyun pulled back his fangs and, before he could leave Johnny’s skin exposed again, he closed his lids and started licking the spot he had bitten on, cleansing smears of blood, making sure his feeding wouldn’t leave any trace on the werewolf’s body, just like a cat would. He stepped back and wiped the edges of his mouth with his thumbs, canines back at their usual length.

Johnny gulped, feeling a trace of dissatisfaction at the cold air that replaced Jaehyun’s velvety mouth. He regained his composure, as much as dizziness allowed him, and straightened his back, looking everywhere to avoid making eye contact with the vampire.

He felt dirty, he felt corrupted, he felt _compliant_. None of it should belong to a werewolf, even less to a pack leader, an alpha.

Johnny’s hand ghosted over the two little holes on his neck. Johnny found himself wanting _more_.

Despite everything the rational part of his brain was suggesting him, despite every fiber of his body resisting the urge to leap forward and ask for a round two and despite his unmoving vow of never getting his feelings involved with a supernatural being anymore, he did what he shouldn’t have done.

His limbs moved on their own, or at least that’s what he wanted to believe: he lunged stealthily, closing the gap between them Jaehyun had created again in case Johnny wanted to curse at him for what he had just done. What he didn’t expect was to see the sheer lust mirrored in the werewolf’s eyes as they darkened and narrowed, looming over his face like a dark sky during a rainy day.

Jaehyun knew it was probably just the side effect of his feeding session that had conjured that sultry look he was now facing. It was the reason why vampires held so much influence over the commoners’ imagination and also the reason why people interested in the supernatural actively sought to be bitten by one of them. It was said to be a one-of-a-kind experience, for those who weren’t bled dry afterwards.

He had barely regained his strength, letting the blood give new life to his bones and muscles, when he felt a pair of sturdy hands reach his cheek and hip, brushing nervously his skin and clothes. Jaehyun quirked an inquiring brow only for his lips to be caught by Johnny’s plump ones in a feline motion, merely giving the vampire the time to register all of it.

The first thing Johnny tasted was the metallic remnants of blood – his _own_ blood – prickling his bottom lip, making him grimace. Disgust was the first word that should have come up in his mind, but it only turned him even more eager, cheeks flushing red at the sensation of Jaehyun’s honeyed taste that made everything sweeter, more piercing, more vivid. The kiss was painfully and purposefully slow, neither of them really subdued, as if they were just testing each other on who was going to yield first. Johnny’s hand reached the back of his neck, gripping at his hair gently before falling on Jaehyun’s collarbone. His brain was a skein of different sensations, but the strongest one was inebriation; his senses registered everything in a different way, almost like he was born again and was experiencing the world for the first time.

Johnny felt it was physically impossible to stop. His brain felt practically melted inside his skull and the only impulse he was responding to was his guts’. Jaehyun titled his head, adjusting the angle where their lips met. Everything about that kiss but the pace was animal-like, instinctive. Jaehyun felt Johnny’s scent calling him as it had been for the entire day, blood still tasting fresh on his mouth, and that’s what won him over almost completely. Almost. The werewolf didn’t have an excuse, nor did he care in that moment. There was no reasoning in what they were doing, it was all a whim.

A particularly loud crackle coming from the fire made Jaehyun open his eyes, hands still on Johnny’s thigh. The realization of what he was doing hit him all at once and he halted his movements abruptly, taking advantage of one of Johnny’s breaks to catch his breath to put his hand between their lips. He slowly shook his head as he distanced himself. A sorrowful expression engulfed his face.

«No», he murmured, looking at Johnny’s lips. «We can’t do this».

The werewolf exhaled, leaning back in his spot. He would be lying if he didn’t say he was expecting this reaction. «I- I understand. It’s my fault, I apologize».

«No, you don’t», Jaehyun replied in a hurry. «it’s not… it’s not what you think».

«And what do I think?», Johnny asked.

Jaehyun stood up, placing his hands on either side of his hips. «It’s not about our… different positions. I don’t care about all of that», he stated.

«Then you don’t like me», Johnny simply said.

The vampire sighed, resignation flooding him as he compliantly realized that was clearly not the case. «It’s not that either».

Johnny quirked a brow, clearly confused. «If it’s not that, why did you stop?»

Jaehyun wished he could have teleported to another dimension. He was going to tell him sooner or later, but the timing never presented itself and now? Now was probably the worst timing for this kind of things. But he had already lied to his face one too many times for his own selfish reasons and decided he was going to come clean, about all of it. No more secrets, no more postponing anything. He owed him as much.

«There’s something I haven’t told you… about your parents».

A gust of wind echoed in the distance. Jaehyun looked outside, gathering the words in his brain. «Seventeen years ago, my sire ordered me to get rid of them. To kill them. I wasn’t informed about the reason, I was just supposed to follow the command and do it. The thing is, I knew your parents, Johnny. And I knew you. I watched you play with other kids, yelling about how it wasn’t fair to play hide and seek by cheating. I got to know your parents and their heart of gold, how they took care of other werewolves in need».

«I didn’t do it. I didn’t have the heart to do it. I disobeyed a direct command from my superior and arranged with them to leave the country. I let them live in exchange of them never coming back again and abandoning their sons, of never contacting them. You were supposed to believe they were dead because of an accident. Everyone was».

Jaehyun bit his bottom lip. «Your parents took both of you off vervain so I could erase your memories. It was safer that way, for every part involved. After that they left and I never saw them again».

An ominous silence fell into the room. Johnny was staring at him openmouthed, completely frozen in his spot. His brain had registered all of it, but somehow the muscles in his mouth didn’t care to respond. His breathing became irregular. A couple of minutes passed like that, until Jaehyun was the one to speak.

«Say something».

«Say… _something_?», Johnny hissed, low voice one breath away from a snarl. His stare intensified, dark brown eyes sharp as needles. «You made me believe I was an orphan for seventeen years. You made me believe my parents were _dead_ for seventeen years!»

Jaehyun felt the room became smaller, more suffocating. He was nervously touching his necklace, trying to relieve his stress. Nothing he could ever say was going to mend that, he knew. No big apologies, no heartfelt self-pity. And he couldn’t even blame Johnny, for all that mattered. «I’m sorry. It was for your own g–».

«DO NOT say it was for my own good. Having my parents by my side as I grew up would have been for my own good, seeing them being proud of me would have been for my own good». Johnny’s voice cracked, lips trembling. «To still remember their features…»

He was right. What could he have said? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was his fault. It was seventeen years ago as it was now. Jaehyun watched Johnny yell at him without responding. It was pointless to try, he had concluded.

Johnny chose the silent treatment for the rest of the afternoon, until it was safe to go out and go back home. Jaehyun wasn’t surprised. His thirst was quenched, but he still felt as powerless and as chained as he was two hours earlier.

Jaehyun chose the truth, but probably lost everything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have reached the end, I have a question to ask you: since I will be a lot busier in the next couple of months, I was thinking about posting shorter chapter(s) in order to post more regularly. what do you think? should I keep this pace and post later on or shorten them a bit and maybe post sooner? please let me know either here in the comments or even in my [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/JAEHKYUN), I'm evaluating all possibilities. 
> 
> anyway, I hope you enjoyed this one!


	7. VII. Limbo

The buzzing coming from the living room slithered through the thin walls and reached Johnny, who was playing with modeling clay in his room. He had always loved kneading with his little hands, tapping and squishing until his fingertips got sticky and colored, until clay got stuck under his nails. His parents used to cup his hands and stroke them with theirs, removing every tiny piece with a damp cloth, cooing over him and throwing around words like “how adorable your little paws are, John.” They had never got mad at him for all the clothes he had soiled of for the dirt that followed him everywhere, mostly after returning from a playing session with his friends. It was weird, he had thought as a little boy, watching all his friends’ parents flare up about the smallest things while the most he had ever gotten was a side-eye from his mom.

The dark brown clay was almost ready, the shape of a log forming underneath his pads, when he heard a strained yelp coming from downstairs. «Dad?»

It was unusual for Johnny to hear his parents argue or even raise their voice: he grew up surrounded only by love and gentle touches, a gift he tried to share with the people he cared about the most; their household was a safe place hidden deep in the woods, for all creatures who felt tossed away and unwanted by their loved ones just for embracing their real nature. There is no room for anger when you are blinded by warmth, at least that’s what they told him every time.

Johnny soon realized there was a third person joining the heated conversation he could only hear in snippets and muffled voices. The voice was familiar, but not too engraved in his mind for him to distinguish whom it belonged to from a floor distance. He decided to set aside his carefully prepared playground and tiptoed down the stairs, careful not to let a sound. He was equal parts curious and worried, not really sure about what was going on in what he could know recognize as his kitchen. Johnny put down his foot on the last step and scanned the hallway for a spot he could use to hide and eavesdrop. 

Much to his own let-down, Johnny was going to find out that conversation was far from something a ten year old kid should have listened to.

«I don’t understand why this is happening to us. There was an agreement».

«I don’t know, I’ve told you already. I received the order this morning at dawn. I tried to ask for a reason, but they dismissed me like I was asking for a ride on the moon.» The stranger’s voice was no longer foreign to Johnny’s ears. His molasses eyes started focusing on his figure, on his tall and cold appearance, on his slender hands, sharp as needles, fending the air while he tried to support his speech with sharp gestures. His nose poked out from the side still hidden from Johnny’s perspective, tracing and engraving his profile against the tile of the kitchen they were in. He was draped in black from head to toe, like that ominous figure Johnny found sometimes in story books: an unknown thought, a nameless bad person, the personification of evil. The not-so-stranger-anymore didn’t need to turn around and unveil his face for Johnny to attach a name to that lulling voice addressing his parents.

Suddenly the image presented itself in his mind: pale skin, sharp features, _the eyes_. Silvery, glistening eyes, slightly narrowed and turned upwards at the end. The first time Johnny had seen Jaehyun, he had stopped in his tracks while running after a stray cat in the back of his yard. For a moment, he had thought the stray cat had magically morphed into a man, mocking all his efforts to catch him with that seemingly innocent grin that pricked the kid like stings all over his body. A lonely meow had trailed off in the distance.

«I have come to warn you», Jaehyun continued. «You need to leave. Not for a month, not for a year. You need to leave the region and never come back. Change names, get new IDs.» He stopped to look at them straight in the eyes. «It’s the only way to avoid what I really should be doing right now».

There was a few seconds of silence that subdued the room. Johnny heard everything from the pillar he was hiding behind, his mind racing and galloping at the thought of leaving his friends behind, the woods that he knew like he was born and lived there, all of his animal companions he kept jealously by his side. He could feel his heart trying to jump out of his chest.

A cutting follow-up broke through his fragile hideout. «Toddlers are not allowed to come with you».

Jaehyun turned his head back with a snap, glancing at Johnny’s distressed expression. He saw them again, as wintery as they were the first time, as unforgiving as they were. But this time it seemed like they were alight, coming to life right before him, a doomed smile welcoming him.

There was no point in hiding anymore, so Johnny trotted forward, leaving his spot with an unreadable expression, his little hands shaking. His parents turned their attention on him, but not really looking at him in the eyes. He had heard enough of the conversation to shoot a frowning look back at them, hoping they would explain what was happening that made them flinch and card their fingers through their hair, scratching it like they were trying to yank it off their scalps.

«Hi Johnny», Jaehyun sighed, squatting down a bit to level their height difference. Despite the tense air around them, he offered the ten-year-old a warm smile. Johnny felt like it was the first time seeing him all over again and took his time before replying, analyzing his features that didn’t seem so unkind and foreign anymore.

«Hi, mr Jaehyun». The formal appellative conjured a small giggle on the vampire’s mouth. «Do we r-really have to move out?»

Johnny’s parents tried to detain a sigh. Unable to come up with something on the spot to tell Johnny the truth without hurting him, Jaehyun resorted to improvisation and the peaceful bubble of ignorance.

«Yes, Johnny. If you want to keep everyone safe, you have to find a new home». _You’re staying_. «Where would you like to live? Do you want to wake up every day and see the ocean?» _I don’t know how to tell you that everyone you love will disappear_. «Or do you prefer the city? There’s always something to do in the city and parks, big parks with so many dogs». _I’m sorry_. _I tried_. _I’ll just erase your memory_. He held his hand with a tad too much strength, trying to find his own support. «I’ll make sure to find whatever house you want».

Johnny stared at him wide-eyed, as if Jaehyun was telling him stories about a magical fantasy world. He gauged the words offered at him and slightly tilted his head, his eyes darting from his parents to the vampire kneeled in front of him.

«I like the ocean a lot. I love to swim». Johnny concluded it was a reasonable price in exchange of leaving his friends here, that he got to choose his own destination. He could always visit them from time to time. «Yes, I want to see the ocean».

Jaehyun loosened the grip on Johnny’s hand but gained a new burden on his shoulders. He perked up and heaved a long sigh, eyes closed. «House on the beach it is». 

It doesn’t happen with big goodbyes and heartfelt words. It’s quick, almost imperceptible, like taking a band aid off after you have kept it for so long on your arm, even when it has become pointless, just for the warmth and safety that having a filter between your wound and the world around you brings you.

Johnny waves at them after they finish their breakfast, bread and half-opened jam jars still embellishing the table– he doesn’t pay attention to his mother’s glossy eyes or his father’s unusual pained staring when he closes the door for the last time. Silence falls on the house just like it always does when Johnny is left alone for the morning.

He clears off what’s left on the table, putting away the dirty plates into the sink. It’s alright, he thinks, _mom will come back and wash the dishes_. Johnny makes sure to fold the tablecloth neatly, flattening the edges with a surgical precision. He likes to maintain things tidy and cleaned.

There’s a little space left between the ocher pillows smothering the old couch in lined feathers and Johnny just sinks into it, not before whipping out the book he has been reading for a week from under the layers of rugs inhabiting the house. It’s comfortable, where he is laying down, and he’s filled with a pleasant feeling of gentle scrap scratches and warm fingers stroking his air. It does not belong to his parents. The air smells like milk and honey and ginger, all the sweets things his mom keeps in the highest shelf of the hutch that he tries to steal when hunger knocks at his stomach.

But it also smells like something else. Oak and maple trees during the rain. The texture of the air almost coppery. A whiff of wind brings inside a chilling breeze and the sounds of the forest. It feels like the day does a 180 turn and lands its hands on midnight.

_You will never see your parents again_. Words he can’t remember, won’t remember. _They died in a car accident and left you and your brother alone. You are orphans now._ Johnny brushes over the cover, tracing the title: “The little prince” _._ Princes. _Only pleasant memories will remain. When you think about them, when you miss them, you will only remember the best parts._

_I won’t leave you alone._

Johnny flips the page and wiggles to adjust against the backseat. He swears he can feel something crack somewhere in the distance, a twig, a glass, a heart. Bones soft like butter.

_I was never part of your life_.

Johnny keeps reading and reading. He stays still and absorbs, like an overgrown sponge. White noise surrounds him, but he doesn’t seem to notice.

_I was never part of your life._

Johnny flips another page.

❄❄❄

Merciless weather has still been plaguing the town, thunderstorms and hail hitting the soil with a loud thumping. It doesn’t snow anymore, at least it hasn’t been ever since the day Johnny got stuck in that decrepit hut with—

«Twenty-five». The sound of timber spilling in two perfect halves vibrates through the surroundings of their communal lodge. Johnny firmly swing an ax in his hands, careful not to throw it into the air and break some skulls. Chenle and Jeno had decided to spend the afternoon with him after several weeks of being basically branded as a desaparecido from his pack (they have truly, genuinely missed him, all of them) but what they couldn’t imagine was that johnny was going to spend the same afternoon chopping wood in a lame attempt of placating whatever storm he had brewed inside.

He’s down to twenty-seven wood logs and counting now. Chenle sighs, head tilted against the door and a hot choco mug in his hands.

«Is he still lashing it out on the trunks?», Jeno asks from where he’s sitting on the couch, resignedly.

«I have never seen someone destroying nature so aggressively», Chenle chirps. He has been observing him for twenty minutes, trying to make small talks in order to fish out some bits of explanation from him. Johnny shutting up for more than ten minutes means only thing: his mind is doing all the talking.

«Deforestation won’t fix a damn thing» Jeno murmurs, reaching for the remoter to switch off the tv. He plops on the couch dead weight, letting out a yawn that comes out sounding more like a yelp caught between the walls of his throat. He raises his chin, shooting a look at the window he is facing. «I wish he would just talk with us instead. We still don’t know who killed Julian and what the fuck was that symbol in the cave».

«It belonged to that society of psychos, he told us that».

«Yeah, and we still don’t know if we have to sharpen our claws just in case they decide to wipe us too from the face of the earth». Jeno cracks his knuckles noisily. «I don’t intend on ending up six feet underground, thank you very much.»

The rhythm outside dwindles down to a few last thumps before they can hear Johnny picking up a handful of logs and hauling them to a secluded little space he had built in the back, arranging them so that water couldn’t touch the bark. He leans against the fabricated wall, his fist welcoming his head. There’s a throbbing headache inhabiting it and a whirlwind of unspoken words: wishes, curses, regrets. Silent wounds bleeding every time he tries to get closer.

Two weeks has passed since that day Jaehyun had decided to shatter every single certainty he had digested in his 25 years of life. Not only about his past, but also his future.

It didn’t take long for him to figure out he was in love with Jaehyun. If the radio silence that followed was disastrous for his constant overthinking, it also helped Johnny sort out his feelings without being forced to look at Jaehyun’s doe eyes staring into the abyss of his soul. He was mad, he was infuriated, to be exact, and he still wanted to kiss him.

It didn’t make an ounce of sense, he knew that. He wanted to talk about it, he wanted to just vent about the shitshow in his brain to someone that could give him actual useful advice, but not exactly everyone in his pack would listen to him gushing about his embarrassing puppy crush on a centuries old man— a vampire. A freaking vampire. Waves of shame springing from the rational part of his mind resurfaced every time he let himself indulge on that small detail.

It wasn’t right. It isn’t right. It isn’t natural.

He heads back to the hut, feet heavy under the weight of his self-consciousness more than his actual weight dispensed on his impressive 187 cms. Jeno cocks his head, hearing the doorknob twist with a snap. Johnny slumps on the seat beside him while Chenle’s watching them from the armchair he’s sitting in, mug replaced by his phone.

«You finally ran out of trees to dissect», Jeno teases.

«You will thank me when it’s not going to be your ass freezing during the next three months».

Jeno grimaces. «Ok, annoying dad. Thanks for doing the hard work, I guess».

«You’re more than welcome», Johnny shoots back, a faint smile creeping up on his face.

He made himself comfortable on the couch, hair tousled and clothes damp from the time spent outside in the wind. It was going to be a lazy afternoon, just the three of them and a board game Chenle had brought from his house. He had figured he could coax Johnny into opening more to them and trusting his pack with the stream of consciousness running through his mind through some alcohol and stupid bets on who was going to lose all three of the rounds.

Johnny seemed to move tentatively around them, only giving the pack the essential information they were able to gather from the trip to that underground library and a serious confrontation with Taeil, the head of the witch coven.

Horus was the name of a secret organization of witches that had tried to subvert the vampires’ domination back in the days. It hadn’t always been like it was now, all three species coexisting convivially with each other, living off on a fragile agreement that felt each day more and more like the sword of Damocles.

The vampires had succeeded in gaining an invisible and silent serious advantage on the other two in the span of a few decades and some witches couldn’t just sit around and wait for the orders from creatures they utterly despised. So they killed, they killed and hexed until the vampires had eventually found out about it and wiped them out one by one, during the course of several years. The vampires’ head, Junmyeon, made sure to clean everything that had to do with it, terrorizing innocent lives and creating a a regime of terror. It was only with his death that vampires, witches and werewolves had the opportunity to start fresh and join forces, Jaehyun and Taeil being the most nagging solicitants of it.

That’s what Johnny had discovered from Taeil. These words had been permeating his mind ever since, trying to figure out what could possibly trigger another uprising when things never seemed to run so smooth.

Chenle settles the glasses and few beers on the table, knowing how fast Johnny chugs his booze when he has heavy thoughts. «Everything’s ready!», he chitters.

Jeno makes his way to the closest chair, stealing some chips from one of the steel bowls arranged in front of them. Johnny throws his head back, exhaling lightly before standing up. He’s about to do so when they hear two light knocks on their door.

Chenle snaps his head, shooting an inquiring look at Johnny who just shrugs his shoulders in response while Jeno goes wide eyed, murmuring one of his infamous ‘uh?’. When he opens the door he finds the two highest representatives of the coven in front of him, Taeil and Yuta, who seem to have been dragged against their will at their doorstep,

«Hi Johnny», Yuta begins, and his voice stings like a needle.

«We need your help, Johnny», Taeil continues, with what Johnny registers as restlessness. «Jaehyun has gone missing yesterday and nobody can seem to find him».

Johnny jolts from the couch, unable to stop the rush of dread climbing the entirety of his body in a fraction of seconds. Suddenly their argument seem so minuscule in his eyes, so tiny it could almost slip through his fingers.

He doesn’t have time to ask for anything when Taeil interrupts him, as if he already knew what he was going to ask. «I’m almost certain I know where he is».

An unspoken nod hangs in the air, a pat and a squeeze on the shoulders of his young wolves and Johnny is already grabbing his jacket, following the witches outside and into the pitch black forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so hi lmao I'm so sorry I didn't upload for so long and if you are still reading this and actually waiting for updates, then I wanna thank u so much! I was out because of exams (and tbh I still have to prepare for big ones) but I also faced quite the writer's block for a long period so I wasn't able to write for any of my stories. I'm still trying to get back to my usual schedule, but I can't promise anyhting.  
> This chapter is slightly shorter but I really wanted to post it because of the long wait and... next one is goign to be the last!!! We are approaching the end and I want to squeeze everything into the next one so that I can give closure to this story before moving to something else. I won't skip anything I promise, I'll just put everything into one single chapter so that I don't have to face deadlines anymore lmao. I can't tell you when it's going to come out but I'll try my best to not go mia again!!
> 
> Let me know what you think! [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/JAEHKYUN)


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